Eternity
by xxPunkRockxx
Summary: Haruno Sakura has fallen victim to the desires of a man born of loneliness and cruelty.
1. Discovery

**.:Eternity/Letters:.**

::SECOND UPDATE:: -- If you did not already see this, I have found an absolutely wonderful individual who adored my story, Eternity, enough to save all the chapters and wants to/has made artistic work out of some of it already. I'm completely flattered and honored, not to mention in awe, that my writing was/is so admired. Thanks to Gigicerisier, I'll be able to upload all the chapters up to where I last left off about...a year or so ago with my long-winded SasoSaku fanfic. Gigi, you are absolutely my hero and I owe you much, much thanks! I couldn't have brought back Eternity without you.

So please, reviews are much appreciated since I lost all reviews and other stats when I deleted the story. Anyone who follows my fics and keeps Eternity going is truly my hero. I love you all!

-Amber/Penguin-

_- - - - -_

There she stood, kunai in hand, aiming and ready. With a flick of her wrist, the kunai flew through the air, landing in the center of a small target attached to a tree. He watched as she continued to train, sweat dripping down her forehead and dirt covering her clothes.

Despite himself, he thought she was pretty. He was well aware this was the same girl who had almost killed him, but he couldn't help but admire her for her strength and beauty. A small smirk tugged at his lips as he continued to watch her, hiding just out of sight.

She was too focused on her training to notice he was there. Kunai flew and shuriken spun through the air as she pushed herself harder and harder, determined to be something better than she was. Disgusted at her current state, she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and brushed some of the dirt off of her clothes. It was as she turned to throw another kunai at her target that she noticed him.

There he was, leaning back against the trunk of a large tree, his cloak blowing in the breeze, along with his crimson hair. A smirk was plastered on his somewhat pale face, and his blood-colored eyes sparkled with mischief.

He stepped out from his spot behind the tree, still smirking. Without any hurry he walked over to her, watching her eyes sparkle with fear. He snickered to himself, amused by her sudden change in attitude. Her once firm grip on the kunai she held was now slipping. Her hand shook like a leaf hanging off a tree.

She took a hesitant step backwards, almost losing her footing in the process, but managing to re-gain it in time to step just out of reach of the man in front of her. She wanted to turn and run, but feared turning her back on him for even a second. As he stepped toward her, she stepped back, until her back hit the kunai that still remained in the target she'd been using for practice. Reaching behind her, she pulled the kunai out and slashed it out in front of her. She immediately noticed the crimson coloring against his skin.

Blood dripped from his wrist and down his hand. It dripped from the tips of his fingers like water dripping from a faucet. He drew his hand upwards and examined his wrist. The wound she'd inflicted wasn't deep, but it was far from being a small scratch. Reaching out his blood-covered hand, he brushed it across her face, leaving a smear of red.

She winced as she felt the crimson liquid smear across her cheek. Disgusted and angry, she opened her eyes and glared at him, reaching up to wipe the blood from her face. The blood she'd wiped from her face seeped through her glove to her own skin. Tearing off the glove, she dropped it to the ground.

All he could do was smile. He loved the way the crimson contrasted against her skin, and the way her beautiful green eyes narrowed into an ugly expression of hatred. He watched as she bit into her own lip, as if to awaken herself from a bad dream, and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. He held her chin as he leaned forward, carefully licking away the blood that dripped from her mouth.

Her hands thrust forward against his chest in a vain effort to push him away. He was much stronger than she, so the effort she put into pushing him away was useless. She watched him laugh as he pulled back, examining her face, which twisted into an expression of anger.

Wrenching the kunai from her hand, he trailed the metal across her cheek, and watched as she tried to pull away. He let the blade graze her skin lightly, leaving a small red line which began to drip with blood. The sweat from her head dripped down her face and over the cut, causing it to sting. Wincing at the sudden pain, she swung her hand forward and felt yet another stinging sensation as her palm connected with his face.

He reached up and touched his stinging face, and narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't let the smirk leave his lips. He simply laughed again and searched her eyes for some expression other than anger. He got what he was looking for when her eyes softened, just a bit, to reveal a confused expression, as if she wanted to know what he was there for.

He brushed his clean hand against her cheek, and leaned forward, placing a quick kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, she managed to stutter out what she'd been waiting to ask:

"What do you want?"

His smirk turned into an open smile as he leaned forward and whispered his answer.

"An eternity with you."

- - - - -

**-Penguin/Punk-**


	2. Harassment

_Two -_

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Lately, Haruno Sakura's dreams had been rudely interrupted by what she would consider nightmares; anything to do with the inhuman puppet master Sasori was.

The scene played over in her head, the beginning of a horror film, the disc skipping at a part of sure suspense - the swing of the kunai, his red blood on her skin. Red, like his hair. Her blood bitter and metallic in her mouth, on her tongue, staining her lips.

Jolting upright, sheets stuck to her body, Sakura shivered. The nightmares had been repetitive; it was the way some people dreamt of falling. Over and over and over and _over_...

Peeling the sheets off of her sweat-slicked skin, she wobbled out of bed and over to the window, inhaling like an asthmatic. Deep breaths, an epileptic meditating amidst the prelude of a seizure. It was as if she were a patient at the hosital in which she worked.

The moon cast a buttery glow over the town, freckles of stars dancing in the velvety black-blue sky. Leaves rustled, sending chills down her spine along with the smooth fingers of the midnight breeze.

Gasping a final breath and holding it in her lungs as if it were a precious treasure, Sakura shut the window and hesitantly made her way back to the dampened sheets of her askew bed. The whispers of air had felt nice, almost welcoming, to a world where fear ceased to exist, even in a time of the night such as this. She would have left the window open if it were not for her ever-looming fear of that cruel, sadistic man creeping into her room and whisking her away. To where he would take her, she hadn't a clue, but it sounded plausible for someone lacking as much sanity as any member of the Akatsuki.

The young teen's mind raced at the same pace as her heart, every nerve on end looking for comfort. Pulling the sheets further upon her body and twisting into them, she decided mummifying herself was a safer bet and a more..._mature _bet than crawling into her closet beneath and upon strewn articles of clothing.

No one could ease her painstakingly aggravating fears, not a single soul in this entire village or outside of its walls. Even if someone came up with a plausible reasoning, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to believe a word of it.

For Akasuna no Sasori was an S-ranked criminal; deadly, stealthy and obsessive. For anyone to make her feel safe would make them a con, a fraud.

As she had recently come to see and believe, words were sweet nothings; sentiments with no value behind them or sincerity, for that matter. They could leave timeless or minute impressions, but they would never be more than skipping stones in the world of conversing.

Eternity...

Not that it was often, but any time she heard the word it made her shudder; she heard it in the same tone every time. In his mellow, sweet-talking and alluring voice. It was terrible.

A soft _tap tap _outside her window made her jump. Crawling beneath the covers and rolling to face her door, Sakura curled into the fetal position, no more than a mere child plagued by the boogieman under her bed. There was an argument raging between her thoughts; go investigate and own up to the title she had earned as a renown shinobi or snuggle further into her matress, praying that her heart would slow and allow her to drift into a dreamless sleep.

Unfortunately, curiosity got the better of her and she tumbled once more out of bed and edged her way to the window. On the short trip she fumbled with her bag to fetch a kunai...just in case. Glancing around while the window was shut, she saw no visible signs of danger. A voice in her head cried '_Deciet!_'. Ahh...

Opening the window, Sakura eased her torso out and searched the premises once more for a sign of life; _nothing_. There was absolutely nothing. There wasn't a trace of anyone's presence there. Nada.

Climbing back into her room and hastily pushing shut the window, she tip-toed back to bed and stopped, body going rigid at the sight of it -

Against the opposite wall a paper hung, stuck with a kunai. No. It couldn't be...

Reality spun from out of reach as did she to check her back. He was here, or at least, he had been.

Darting around the room in a paranoid state, Sakura checked everywhere - closet, hallway, even under her bead. As far as she was concerned Sasori _was_ the boogieman and she was his innocent victim, an innocent little girl all over again, braving her fears.

Once again, there was nothing. The only trace of his presence a small note on her wall eliciting a feeling of numbness otherwise indescribable.

Easing over to the wall she reached out with a shaky hand and budged the kunai from its hold in the wood. Trembling, she wandered back to her bead and fell into it, eyes fixated on the surreal image of a kunai and paper between her fingertips. Denial; she was in blunt-faced denial.

With the kunai now in her grasp, she decided it was now or never. Sakura would have much preferred the option of never, but a kunoichi doesn't hide from fear - she addresses it head-on.

Pulling open the paper so elegantly creased and folded, she found handwriting that matched the precision of the note's folding; the words immediately standing out, written in red ink.

Or was it blood...?

_Dear, dear Sakura. It's a pity you won't come out and play...it would be all the more interesting if you would._

Her stomach lurched and she clutched at her mouth, willing the acidic feeling to ease back down her throat. This man was completely irrational - he came to her in person _then _addressed her by notes.

What was she saying? It was insanity either way and more than creepy.

Tossing the note under her bed, she began the process of mummifying herself once more and curled up tight, burying her face in the pillow. Upon one last fearful glance, she craned her head around the room and froze as her gaze met the window.

_I'll be watching you_.

It was there, _on the glass of her window_. Bold, red letters. Weezing and clutching at her chest, her head spun. When? When had he found the time, the precise moment to complete such a vile task?

Getting up once more, foolishly unarmed, she crept towards the window, but once again to no avail. Whenever he had been there, he was gone now.

Brushing her finger against the red, she watched as the wind whisked it away on a single drift.

Sand.

Red sand.

* * *

**A/N: I re-wrote the chapter (once again) because I wasn't satisfied with the quality. I'm tired, it's 3:52 in the morning...I'll make a point to update the latter when I find the time.**


	3. Torment

**Chapter III**

Note: I'll be editing the chapters' content before posting them since I was a more inexperienced writer when this was originally written. I want to read over each chapter and make sure I'm satisfied with how I have it laid out before I post it. I'm sincerely sorry for the delay and just want to say the plotline **should not change** much if at all. Just a few tweaks in grammar and sentence structure and the show will go on. Thank you!

-Amber-

- - - - -

Sakura awoke to a blissful morning. The sun shone bright in the aquamarine sky without a sign of any unwanted presence near home. She inhaled a great sigh of relief.

The notes Sasori left she had not destroyed, but instead put in the back of a drawer for safe keeping and future viewing. Not that the cherry blossom had a particular reason to keep them, but one could never be so sure as to when something so menial could find a purpose in today.

The sun kissed her face as she stepped outside, a feeling in her gut leading her to believe today would bring happiness despite the night before. In an ever-rare occurance, Sakura was even looking forward to seeing her idiotic teammates Naruto and Sai.

Upon arriving at the training grounds, Sakura discovered Naruto and Captain Yamato absent still - an unusual occurance. Either way, she was left alone with the emotionless bastard, Sai.

"You look tired wench. I would ask what you were doing as of last night, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to venture there," Sai told her with a blank face, pale and stiff as a china bowl.

Sakura sneered and muttered a foul-mouthed reply under her breath. Good days would forever be short-lived when she was stuck on a team with the King of Pricks. Who's foolish idea had it been to put the mystery boy on her team anyway? Naruto and she functioned just fine as a pair. A third member was not necessary, as Sasuke's absence proved.

Sai snickered under his breath, egging Sakura on wordlessly. Feeling too mature to take the bait, she turned away and crossed her arms, eyeing the horizon for the rest of her scrappy team.

As reluctant as she was to admit it, obvious or not, she really did miss Sasuke. He had been no better to her than Sai, but at least he prefered keeping his mouth shut. Silence was beautiful when it wasn't strung with sarcasm and rude remarks.

Draping one arm over the edge of the bridge, Sakura peered into her reflection in the crystalline water. The ripples distorted her face, but she could still see her tired emerald eyes and the borederline frown embedded into her lips.

"Your image is much prettier in the water's reflection. The distortion helps," Sai told her, breaking façade by the wise-ass smirk pulling at the corners of his thin lips.

"You little bastard..."

"Good morning!" Yamato's voice greeted gleefully from behind her. Craning her neck, she could see her team leader and Naruto marching towards them, both gleaming like the sunlight. It was nauseating. "I know this is a bit last-minute," Yamato continued, "but we are assigned to be leaving for a mission in about fourteen hours' time. I want you all to be packed and prepared to leave by midnight, though we will be heading out around eight or nine this evening."

Sakura tried to pierce Yamato's chest with a glare sharp as daggers, and exhaled a deep disappointment when he failed to bleed, fall over or lose consciousness. The man was more irresponsible than Kakashi, which was just damn insulting. Swallowing the bitter taste of bile as it rose in her throat, Sakura began to stalk away from the training grounds in anger.

"Where are you going, Sakura?" Naruto called after her obliviously. How long had they been working together? It was shockingly disappointing and depressing that the blonde still found her unpredictable.

"I'm going home," she yelled back, more for the captain's benefit than Naruto's. "I need to pack."

"What about training?" Naruto yelled in reply. Pivoting, Sakura stared at him with a fury in her eyes.

"I don't need to train, I'm well-equipped for any mission if I'm being sent to it upon such short notice," she emphasized the last three words while looking over at the less-than-responsible Yamato, who blankly stared. Satisfied with the glorious silence she recieved in response, Sakura once more turned around and marched off towards home.

- - - - -

Home was quiet, her family's absence weighing like a terrential downpour upon the roof. The stairs creaked in response as she climbed them, pushing the door open to her daylight-bathed room.

Sakura blindly grabbed at items she knew she would need for the mission, each's placement familiar by years of routine and calculation of a precisely organized abode. As she reached for her brush off her nightstand, a small sheet of paper, folded intricately thrice, caught her eye.

Pulling open its flaps, she scanned it over. This note was written by Sasori as well, but it was different...when had he found time to place this in her room - in a house in the center of Konohagakure - without being seen and identified?

_"Sakura,_

_Just because you'll be absent from your village to complete a mission does not mean I won't be near. Keep this in mind."_

Sakura re-read the note before stuffing it towards the bottom of her satchel. Perhaps she would burn it once they were out on the mission. Two notes already snuggled safely beneath her folded garments - two excuses she didn't need to remember the man who drove her to insanity and furiosity. He was someone - something - she could do without remembering or knowing.

A loud **_thud_** sounded to a presence outside her open window. Oh, God...she prayed it wasn't him.

"Sakura!" A boisterous voice flew in past the curtains as a blonde head popped into her room. "I've gotten details on the mission. I thought you would like to know."

"Naruto. Have you not learned the concept of _doors _not to mention _knocking_?" Sakura hissed at her teammate as he stared at her, confused, through wide sapphire eyes.

"It's overrated." He shrugged as he swung his legs into her room and sat upon the windowsill. "The worst that happens is you punch me in the face and I'm bruised and or bloody...if I don't evade the attack. My reaction time has gotten quicker since my training with Jiraiya-sensei."

"I'm glad," Sakura replied absentmindedly, tittering around the room and grabbing more necessities. Her frustration with the obnoxious blonde faded away as he lightened the mood with a simple joke and a reminder of how long it had been since they'd had the chance to truly spend time with each other. "You better have gotten something out of training with Jiraiya. Not everyone is taken under the Sannin's wings."

"Easy for you to say," Naruto retorted, silently noting the fact that Sakura had trained with Tsunade.

The rosette shrugged and dropped her bag to the floor, lifting her hands above her head and arching her back to stretch. "So what are the details?"

"We're going to Suna," Naruto said boredly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Something to do with terrorist appearances and Gaara."

"Gaara _was _a terrorist..." Sakura mumbled, but forced a smile when Naruto looked at her with an arched eyebrow. Forget she had said anything. "That's it?"

"Prettymuch. Granny Tsunade didn't tell me much else when I demanded an explanation, since Yamato wasn't speaking either."

"Joy."

Quiet engulfed them, its talons grasping them wholly before Naruto wiggled out of its awkward grasp. "I'm going to head over to Ichiraku for lunch, want to join me?"

Sakura gave this actual thought before shaking her head politely to decline. "I think I'm going to do some things around the house and village before we leave. I want to tie up some loose ends."

"Suit yourself." Naruto bid her adieu and leapt from her balcony, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, off to his favorite ramen shop.

Tugging open her dresser drawer, she fished around beneath layers of clothing before her fingers reached paper. Before they left, she wanted to evaluate her situation once more.

- - - - -

**First chapter I took the time to edit. The first and second aren't yet, nor have I gotten to mess with the other...nineteen (?) or so yet. Let me know what you think!**


	4. Musing

**Chapter IV**

- - - - -

The journey to Suna was one of the least pleasant trecks Sakura had ever had the misfortune of experiencing. The lingering fear of Sasori's presence and her teammates' bickering was driving her batty.

Deciding the seclusion she had found for herself behind the team was uncomfortable upon the thought of being watched, Sakura decided to edge closer to one of her team members for comfort. Not wanting to be pulled into the boys' immature arguing, she decided walking near captain Yamato was the safest bet.

As she fell in close stride with the dark-haired man, an empty pang struck her. It was only then that she realized how she actually missed her irresponsible, perverted former sensei, Kakashi. Things had changed…Kakashi would have protected her from Sasori, if she had chosen to speak to him of it. Kakashi would have killed for his pupils.

Yamato's replacing Kakashi brought out the same feeling in her as Sai's replacement of Sasuke. The two would never be the same person, no matter how similar their personalities could seem. Sai would never be Sasuke, nor Sasuke Sai. Thankfully.

Her heart internally bled at the thought of her former team and how it had been coming together, missing very few pieces of the puzzle. Now the four of them were broken, as if the puzzle had been flipped over and flung from the table recklessly, scattering the pieces. Some pieces were closer than others.

"Come on Sakura, you don't want to get left behind and be out here _all alone_ do you?" Yamato encouraged and inquired teasingly, probing at how far behind the three males she had fallen. When had that happened?

Trotting until she reached Naruto's side - Sai now walking a further distance away from the fox-boy - she caught her breath and fell back into stride. Her heart raced now from the sudden sprint she had made. It was better than the panging she had felt.

Shaking off the memories that had been haunting her and slipping back into the suit of reality, Sakura's mind turned from allies to foes. Shinobi had many enemies from the day they began training, but most enemies did not long for an _affair _with their foe like hers did. Not to mention the fact that while they were all corrupted men - or women - she had yet to endure another that dismissed his pedophiliac actions like they were legal and perfectly normal.

Sasori disgusted her. Not that the statement would ring surprise to anyone, stranger or acquaintance.

Her stomach twisted at the thought, not with the fear she normally endured, but with something more. With something forbidden - desire, lust, angst. Things a young kunoichi should not have been feeling for a corrupt man who sat outside her bedroom window in the midst of the night.

A fleeting burst of red overhead stopped her in mid-stride. Small red birds fluttered and danced through the treetops without any recognition of human presence below.

"I didn't know you were afraid of birds, ugly," Sai purred, triumphant at his pitiful attempt of mockery. Ignoring the ghost of a boy, she continued on, eyes darting amidst the trees and brush.

"_Fool," _she thought inwardly. Just because what you saw was innocent did not mean you were safe from the dangers that loomed out of sight. Out of sight was by no means out of mind - for wise shinobi anyhow.

Green bore at green while the team paraded onward. Since the sudden flight of the cardinal, Sakura hadn't taken her eyes off the foliage for more than half a second.

Red. Red was the color of blood, of evil, of demons.

Red was the color of the clouds the Akatsuki bore on their coats.

Red was the color of Sasori; his hair and eyes.

Sakura shook her head, attempting to shake her thoughts off too, as if they were a physical presence. Why did he linger in her mind so often? What had he done to make her think like this?

Games. All that this was - a game.

Licking her dry lips, devoid of any source of liquid aside from her saliva - and hers _alone_ - she peered down the road which began to look more like a desert mirage with each second gone by. This was a long journey to be taking when your mind was occupied by horrid tales and truths.

There was no sign of true civilization anywhere near them. Hopefully by nightfall they would find some safe haven to stay within…not that it mattered. Sasori made a point to get what he wanted.

No. She could fight him. She still had her willpower.

"Captain Yamato," Sakura called out from behind the pack, ignoring the fight inside her. "Where are we staying tonight?"

The captain paused and glanced at her, then the boys. "Look around, familiarize yourself with the furry and feathered creatures. I hope you aren't scared of the dark…"

"We'll be staying out here tonight. The nearest town is too far a distance away to reach by sunset," Sai answered for Yamato.

"Alright." Glancing at the trees, Sakura glared in warning. She would sleep with a kunai in hand if she had to - not that it would do much good against an elite criminal.

The wind blew harder than it had before, and as it did a voice drifted with it. Though the sun still shone in the afternoon sky, it sounded as if someone had whispered, _Sweet dreams_,.

"_Touch me and you're a dead man. They won't let you take me." _Sakura seethed inside, bitter. Her confidence dwindled soon after, and she suddenly longed for the silver-haired jounin to be in her presence again, protecting her.

Kakashi wouldn't have let her die.

- - - - -


	5. Foolish Banter

: : **Eternity **: :

- _Chapter Five _-

**Sorry for the delay! On with the show. Thank you for ****all**** the reviews. Muah!**

- - - - -

Sometime within the ruthless night, tossing in turning in a dreamless sleep as the wind washed her skin clean of the hot, sticky sweat that clung there from the night terrors that haunted her, Sakura had found herself curled up, hugging her knees. Awakening, she was startled to find she had ever drifted off at all, what with the paranoia and fear looming over her shoulder greater in size than the Kyuubi.

Pushing herself to sit up and feeling her abs groan warm at the first morning movement, she twisted, listening to the satisfying pops in her spine. Repeating this procedure with her neck, despite the fact she knew - being a medic nin - that it was unhealthy, she sighed and leaned back onto her elbows and forearms, still blinking sleep from her jade eyes.

The sky glowed brightly by the sun's warming light, blue encompassed by a gigantic ball of yellow and white light burning stronger than any life force here on earth. Birds sung to one another from the tips of trees and small creatures bustled about within the shrubbery. Despite her cursèd life of men twenty years her senior following her every move and leaving her lovingly harassing notes at all hours of the night, someone had loved her enough to grant such a beautiful day on their journey.

"Good morning," Yamato greeted, stretching his arms upward with a wide yawn. Had he been awake this entire time or had he just woken up? "Did you sleep well?"

"As best as you can with rocks as pillows and leaves as bed sheets," she replied sarcastically, forcing enthusiasm into her tone while annunciating each word crisply. "In other words, dandy."

The captain laughed, rubbing his stubbly chin with a gloved hand.

"You do have a point. Those two seemed to have slept well…" he trailed off, verbally gesturing to Naruto and Sai, still passed out within arm's length of one another. Lord knew that couldn't be good.

Case in point, awake or in sleep, Naruto rolled and subconsciously dealt Sai a blow to the face, his fist sliding down across the pale boy's nose and landing just below that. Sai, half-awake if not completely asleep, swung his leg up and dealt him a rough blow to the groin. Naruto's eyes overflowed with tears and he cringed and moaned, but was somehow still unconscious.

"Amazing," Sakura whispered, shaking her bubblegum locks around her face. Those two were like a cat and a dog. Maybe even worse than Sasuke and Naruto. That was a frightening thought.

"…get them up, we can head onto the village ahead of us and settle…" Yamato's voice drifted in her ears and slipped right back out. How long had the captain been talking? Her mind must have wandered elsewhere…

To the best of her knowledge, for the five to ten minutes she had been awake, Sasori had not left a note or any sign of his presence last night. That scared her more than if he _had_.

"Get off of me, you homo," Sai gurgled, shoving Naruto away from him.

"I wasn't even _on you_ idiot!" Naruto spat back in hysteria, rolling over with his back to Sai before flipping back to face the other boy. Sai apparently wasn't trustworthy enough. Not that she blamed Naruto, by any means.

As predicted, a beautiful morning ruined by the childish bickering of adolescent boys - and she got the pleasure of calling them teammates.

"Would you guys grow up and start acting like the mature adults you're trusted to be?" She yelled to them, but Sai had drifted back off and Naruto was in the process of doing the same. "How the hell do I live with you two?"

"They're your teammates," Yamato commented, poking into her one-sided conversation. He was right though; the team was probably her sole reason for putting up with them and their , at least neither of them was Sasori. That was one man, good or bad, she could live without.

"Screw you!" Naruto cried. "Am I not allowed to sleep now?"

"You're breathing on me," came the patient, soft reply.

Naruto's face reddened as he glowered at the other boy.

"Bastard."

"We need to get going anyway," Yamato informed them, which got Sai to open his eyes, at least. "Sleeping all day isn't on our agenda."

Ignoring the latest fuss between her three - well, mainly two - male team members, Sakura turned to her belongings and began re-collecting things. Astonishing. As usual, she was the most mature one here.

As she grabbed at her duffle, that was when she noticed it - a tree branch sticking out. How the hell did that manage to get there?

Pulling at it and tossing it aside, she watched as a small paper followed.

Shit.

Opening the sliver, she read the few words imprinted on it in red ink:

_Look up._

Frozen, she stared at the paper before getting a grip and shoving it into her pack quickly to keep the others from noticing. Faking a yawn, arms stretched towards the sky, she craned her neck but saw nothing.

Look up?

Glancing around the clearing, she examined the innumerous trees that stood like guardians around them. It was then that she noticed the slight line in the dirt beside her.

What the hell…?

It led to a tree with a wide base, a warped branch crushed and fallen, the remnants of a storm.

Lo and behold, there it was - pinned to the trunk with a kunai.

Sasori really did put far too much thought into these things.

Hoping not to draw attention, since the others were busy packing anyway, she began to creep over towards the tree. Unfortunately, a still immature voice called to her.

"Sakura! Where are you going?"

Leave it to Naruto in all his endless curiosity and ADD to notice her trying to slip off. Damn…time to wing it. Imagination - why didn't they enforce that at the academy?

"Uh…I thought I saw something in the tree and…I just wanted to check it out, make sure we aren't being targeted already. You know?" Not waiting for a reply, she burst off in a flash and dashed up the trunk, snatching the kunai and letter in the process.

As she sprinted vertically to the tree's canopy, two squirrels darted and leapt to another branch.

Lucky her.

As she crept back down, kunai at her side as if it had been hers and note folded within her palm, Sai raised an eyebrow at her but remained otherwise expressionless.

"You really mistook squirrels for enemies?"

"Shut up," Sakura snapped, too focused on the paper pressed to her clammy palm to conjure a witty reply.

"Alright, alright," Yamato stressed tiredly. "You just woke up twenty minutes ago. I don't want to listen to you three bicker until the last one falls asleep."

"Yeah, knucklehead." Naruto glared at Sai, who either missed or did not acknowledge the facial gesture.

After glancing around the grounds, Yamato nodded his approval. "Let's head out."

The paper still crumpled neatly in her fist, Sakura couldn't help but wonder - when would Sasori's twisted game be over? The sickening feelings she had in her stomach told her he was far from finished - more likely just beginning.

"_I won't let him keep this up," _she thought bitterly, suffocating the paper even more. Twisted asshole!

"You alright?" It was only when addressed with this question that Sakura realized she'd been holding her breath. Her face was cherry red.

"Fine." Giving Naruto a dismissive hand gesture, she inhaled, refilling her deprived lungs with the air they deserved. The blonde didn't look convinced, but watched her only a moment more before turning back around and continuing on.

No male, not even Sasuke Uchiha, had ever, _ever _made her lack sanity like this. Sasori made her livid; he made her skin _crawl_. It was as if he looked at her as one of his god-awful puppets, tied to strings of chakra, dancing by the tug of his fingers.

That would never happen. She would never be that maniacal creature's plaything.

Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her. It was a warm day too, yet she was freezing. The thought of him made her mad. It really did.

Catching Naruto's watchful eyes again, she flushed and turned away. If he asked, now she really couldn't lie it away. Of course, he did.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Sakura managed a meager smile and looked at him through sorrowful, sleepy eyes. "Yeah. Just feeling a little bit under the weather is all."

Naruto frowned in displeasure, but sighed and shook the expression off. "If you need to stop and rest…"

"I'll be alright, really. We need to continue on."

Accepting her statement, Naruto followed her word. More than likely he did so begrudgingly, as he always liked having his way - even if it meant caring for her, the girl of his long-lived affections.

Quickening her pace to catch up as not to look too ill, Sakura's thoughts became a twinge more than resentful.

"_Eat or be eaten. Keep this up and I'll see to it you aren't able to write your next letter and terrorize me any longer."_

- - - - -

**Sorry again for the delay! Please review. If the contents of this chapter seems off, please notify me. I was having trouble with the format and such from uploading the doc...hmm.**


	6. Futile

**Six -**

**A/N: I'm sorry in advance if there are numerous or any misspellings. I don't know how many of you care, but I'm a grammar freak so I feel the need to point this out ^^; My keyboard has been sticking lately, thus the misspellings.**

**First update in a long time...rating hasn't changed to 'M'...yet. I'm wondering if it should though.**

**Spoilers of my own story xD Read on!**

x-x-x-x-x

The majority of their trek to the town not too far from Suna was hell - Naruto and Sai's arguing saw to that. Groaning in disgust here and there, Sakura kept her attention on the sky, the trees and like the paranoid girl she now was, behind her. Thank the world for creepy old men - as if Jiraiya and Orochimaru weren't enough.

Somehow, she doubted Orochimaru was even a man anymore. That..._thing_ was incapable of having a penis. It just wasn't possible.

The town, a mess of rickety wooden shops and houses was adorable in the sense that it looked like a child's doll house; the population was set at about one-eighth of Konohagakure's.

Doll house...charming.

"Alright, you three - I'm off for a while to go talk to one of the Sunagakure officials who is in tonight as well. Keep out of trouble, maybe get some dinner," Yamato chised in a parental tone.

"We're not twelve anymore Captain," Naruto replied in an aggravated tone. "I think we're capable of handling ourselves."

"Not all of us," Sai interjected, recieving a deathly look from the blonde. "I believe one-third of our team attacked some squirrels earlier today."

"Screw you," Sakura shot back, fists clenched and most likely turning a pale white inside her black gloves. _You don't know_.

The three of them sauntered around town checking out the restaurants and making a pecking order of which was a possible stop for the night. Naruto was vouching for the ramen shop at the outskirts of the town, while Sai just advised the go for sushi.

"Just pick something," Sakura growled at her teammates who, contrary to Naruto's prior statement to their captain, were acting like petty children. Their maturity levels were far lower than twelve years of age.

Once the two imbeciles decided on dinner, which happened to be a hibachi grill rather than either of their choices, Sakura stood and stretched, flipping a tip but sauntering out before the boys could interject about her lack of pay. They had caused enough trouble today; they could make up for it.

"Sakura-chan! Where are you going?" Naruto called after her, eyebrows furrowed together in disdain.

"Bed," Sakura called back, not bothering to turn around to verify her claim.

Once at the inn Yamato had advised they were to stay at, Sakura sauntered to her room and collapsed on the bed. God, she was exhausted. Most times it wouldn't have taken this long to get to another village, but Captain Yamato was insistant that their team work slowly to get there. It made her wonder what there was to be hidden.

As she rolled onto her side, she could hear rustling in her pocket.

The note.

Pulling out the piece of paper, she unfolded its now-crumpled contents and stared down at the black words on the page.

_This loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell, secretly yearns for heaven. _**1**

This man got every bit more frightening each time they crossed paths, be it in words or person.

_...who burns in hell, secretly yearns for heaven_

What exactly was that supposed to mean?

Mulling it over a few times more, Sakura sighed in defeat and stuffed the note into the nightstand drawer. If she never saw it again, or any others, that would be completely to her liking.

Of course, nothing these days was to her liking.

Curling up in a ball on her side, Sakura studied the darkness with wonder and fear. This was the disadvantage to being the only female member of the team - she got her own room for the night.

Stupid gender limitations.

Either way, she found herself dozing off albiet with a lump in the back of her throat. If only she weren't alone...if only...

Blinking open and rubbing her eyes still sticky with sleep, Sakura rolled over and glanced at the clock finding it to be two-thirty-eight in the morning.

Why had she woken in the first place? Her sleep wasn't any restless like last night, but something was knotted in the pit of her stomach; something grotesque that told her, on instinct, to run while she still could.

Run. _Run_.

Getting out of bed and bolting to the door, she heard a creaking behind her and froze. Fear had her pinned to the spot, legs numb and heavy like bricks as she risked a wide-eyed glance over her shoulder. There was nothing - just the window open ajar the way she had left it for the inn's lack of a better ventilation system. Sighing, she turned back around - still determined to get out of the room - and came to face a pair of devilish eyes.

"Ahh..."

Stumbling backwards, she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground, pushing herself towards the window with her bare feet.

It was him.

Here.

Alone with her.

Lord so ever help her.

"Sakura-chan, there isn't need to run," Sasori chasted, unmoved from his spot, his head cocked lightly to one side. "It isn't as if I'll hurt you...not any more than I already have."

Her face warped in disgust, Sakura braced herself to sprint to her bedside and grab the kunai she had there. Pushing herself up the wall beside the window, she felt the frame and calculated reaction time, if she could make it without him grabbing her before her escape.

"I wouldn't do that," Sasori advised, taking a step toward her with a small, content smirk on his face.

Sakura glared at him in hatred and fright. "Give me one reason not to."

Outside the window hovered a figure, braced with blades and an empty look in its hollow eyes.

A puppet.

It was only then that she noticed the strings, obviously formed within the last few seconds, glowing blue with chakra and leading around her.

"If you want to try, I'm not stopping you, just be warned of the consequences," Sasori whispered in a taunting manner. "However, if you stay, I'll let down my guard."

"What do you have to be guarding yourself against?" Sakura was struggling not to scream in fury at the man, some twenty years older than her, standing with an arrogant look on his malevolent face.

He shrugged, dancing his fingers to open the window with his puppet's, at which Sakura dodged and ended up in the far corner of the room. She watched the wooden devil creep its way in by Sasori's accord and shut the window behind it before clattering to the floor as he cut his chakra strings.

"I am so flattered you decided to stay."

Swallowing the once-again growing lump in her throat, Sakura pressed herself into the corner of the room, fists clenched in preparation for a fight. Sasori took his time gliding across the floor to her, before he stood in front of her with a pair of his own hollow, but tangible, eyes.

"Hello Sakura."

Averting her eyes, Sakura looked to the wall and studied the woodwork - ordinary brown, warped in some places and becoming a little fragile with age.

Why wasn't the puppet master that way? It would be much an advantage.

"Sakura," he whispered, more to himself than to the girl he'd trapped against the wall. She flinched as fingers traced her jawline in a trance-like state, working down her neck to her shoulder. There they rest all but momentarily before slipping away completely. "Sakura."

Words refused to form on her tongue as she glared at the floor, now, in hopes some epiphany would strike her as a way to end this. She could scream to alarm Naruto, Sai and Yamato - one room over - but something in her gut brought her to stay silent. It was hellish and disgusting.

"Why are you so frightened, my dear?" Sasori played the question rhetorically, once again stroking her face with a numbing touch. "Sakura...look at me."

She refused, partially because it scared her but mostly to defy the orders of a man who had been slipping through the shadows to watch her every move; a predator on the hunt.

"Look at me," he repeated, edge coming into his voice. Once again, Sakura chose to ignore this, which turned out to be a foolish move.

"Look at me," Sasori growled once more, hand coming to grasp her jaw all-too-roughly and twist her face so she was looking into his dark eyes. "Better."

"What do you want?" Sakura hissed at him through clenched teeth. His eyes cast a smile she wouldn't have seen anywhere else in this world, nor had she. It was a look that could stop a heart and by no means in the way Uchiha Sasuke's looks could. There was a distinct difference.

Sasori laughed under his breath, dipping his head while he spoke. "You should know. Do you not understand the metaphor of hell and heaven?"

Sakura glared at him again, not that her eyes had ever opened once narrowed into slits in his general direction. His fingers still clenched her jaw in an iron grip, forcing her to be one of his puppets in that moment.

"You're a vile excuse for a shinobi," Sakura told him, attempting to pull her face from his grasp and failing miserably. "You should have stayed dead when I first killed you."

"You don't always get what you want in life," Sasori remarked, slamming her head back against the wall and taking the last possible step closer to her. "If you're that determined, you should see to it that you properly finish the job."

"I did!" she cried out, eyes ablaze. "I watched you fall apart, watched your own grandmother check the remnants of your inhuman body. How the hell you came back is-"

"Watch your mouth," he growled, leaning closer to her. "Apparently you don't appreciate the term 'respect your elders' much either."

Sakura took her turn to laugh. "Respect my elders? I have no respect for a man who is the aggresor to my defense and who makes a point to make my life his hell."

"And what a pleasure it is," he told her, releasing the grip on her face so she could feel the stinging in her jaw. "You're a disrespectful little girl, you know that?"

"You're a disgusting old man," she sneered back, lunging far enough before his grip caught her to grab the kunai and slash blindly behind her.

That was when it occured to her - he was _wooden_. A kunai would do nothing.

Yet the contradiction came. His eyes open in shock, she watched the blood trickle from his cheek to his chin. A puppet was bleeding...that wasn't possible...

"You're human," Sakura deadpanned, her own eyes wide with shock, his deathly grip on her wrist still unnoticed.

His eyes flickered to her face before he yanked her towards him and threw her into the wall. "You're a little wench," he growled, face mere inches from hers and breath ragged with frustration. Sakura trembled benath his arm, which was now pinning her to the wall by her shoulders. "You had better learn some respect quickly, dear, before I teach it to you."

Sakura smirked. "What are you going to do? I'm not afraid of you, no matter how monstrous you are."

Sasori eyed her with a cold look that wasn't discernable. "You want to test me, cherry blossom, or do you want to start listening?"

Sakura leaned her head back against the wall, not bothering with an answer - it was another rhetorical question. Why bother?

"Good," Sasori said for his own satisfaction and removed his arm from her body which was likely to be bruised by daylight. Focus momentarily off her, he touched his cheek to wipe the blood away, staining his fingers red. When he had become human was beyond her recognition, though she was extremely curious behind all her other overbearing emotions.

So much for 'shinobi don't show emotion'.

"What do you want?" Sakura hissed again, teeth and fists clenched ready to fight for her life if it came down to that. Nothing would stop her from attempting to kick the shit out of this man if she had to - the question was, truly, why hadn't she by now?

"The same thing you do," Sasori teased, leaning an arm above her head and leaning in close to her until the tips of their noses touched. "The same exact thing."

"For you to get the fuck away from me? To die again?" she breathed, close to choking on the sharp inhilation and pressure he'd been putting on her various times in the last ten minutes.

"Don't deny it. You're lying...you're lying to yourself," Sasori mimicked, leaning in close enough to brush his tongue across her neck. It was then that it occured to her what she hadn't noticed before; his touch was human. His hands were warm, his tongue, his breath, the way nothing about him had been in their battle. It was surprising now to see that his bleeding face was the first sign when so many others had been clear.

"There isn't a thing to lie about," Sakura spat, staring over his shoulder into oblivion as his lips made their way from her neck to her jaw.

"I'd beg to differ." His mouth continued a trail up her jaw until against her ear, hot and sticky. "You want me."

This triggered something fierce in Sakura, and without warning she slammed her hands full-force into his chest, propelling him backwards and giving her enough time to leap towards the door. Her valiant attempt at escape hadn't been good enough. Arms swung around her waist and whipped her around before slamming her onto the bed with a hand over her mouth. There Sasori stood, at her side, with a wild look in his eyes screaming violence and sadism. "You try a stunt like that again and see what happens," he warned her, eyes boring heavily into hers.

The adrenaline rush caused her heart to pound hard enough it was in her throat, audible in her ears. She shut her eyes to trap out the feelings of mixed emotion, pain and pleasure, anger and fear. She was drowning in a world more captivating and devouring than what she imagined were her two teammates' lives - Naruto's life without a family and fight with his literal inner-demon and Sasuke's overbearing desire to massacre the man who had deprived him of a life he would never know. It was ugly, bitter and set off flares in her head.

Sasori was now leaning on her, breath heated on her cheek. "I thought we had an understanding about respect, Sakura," he purred, moving his lips from her cheek to the corner of her mouth. "You're a smart girl. You should understand."

"I understand nothing when it is forced upon me." She was speaking from some unknown place within, lost from reality, staring at the ceiling to avoid thinking of all the possibilites of what could happen in the next few mintues; death, rape, kidnapping. It was all horrifying and completely thought-provoking. All she truly wanted in that moment was to drift off to a place where all thought could die.

If her semi-successful self-numbing, so to speak, hadn't worked, the puppet master's next gesture certainly did. Pulling away from her all but momentarily to hungrily take in the fear in her eyes, he leaned down and crashed his lips to hers, driven by what she came to fathom as unspeakable lust and a strong need to repay her for the hell she had further put him through.

Quite obviously, she had, if he was once again flesh and blood.

It was terrible; the feeling of anything forced. It was adamant harassment, not that the redhead gave a damn, she knew. Something, however, caused her to see it as something different, something not so sadistic and horrifying.

In that moment, the thing that scared her the most was her own body reacting against her logic, as she closed her eyes and kissed back.

There were more than a handful of reasons why this was utterly disturbing. For one, Sasori had tried to kill her. Two, he had a minimum of twenty years on her, old enough to be her father. The most disgusting one, she came to reason, was the fact that she was quite sure at one point he had been _dead_.

Did that make her a necrophiliac?

The man leaned ever-closer to her, biting at her bottom lip with ferocity and desire. Without a second thought, she parted her lips, meeting his tongue with her own.

How the hell did this feel so damn pleasureable? She wanted to kill him, wanted to watch him _die_ all over again, but instead was being pinned to her current bed by his strong, muscular body and going through animalistic motions.

Dear God.

Her arms had managed to snake around his neck, a single leg held up by his steaty hand. The harder he pressed his body to hers, the more she wanted to moan in satisfaction and bliss.

At the same time, half of her wanted to fish for the kunai somewhere in the near vicinity and stab him shitless.

Her pride was too great to allow herself to completely give in to the pleasure he was showing her, at least until he rocked his hips into hers, eliciting a throaty moan from the teen.

This was wrong. Completely.

It was a pity she couldn't bring herself to care.

Her reaction caused a devilish one in response as Sasori continued the movement that had broken her resistance, causing her to groan again and push her hips back against his. It was wonderfully horrible, and nothing short of ecstasy; which was probably the reason she didn't bother to stop him as his _human, flesh and blood_ hand made its way under her shirt and began squeezing her breast.

Oh Kami-sama...

This might as well have been fucking with their clothes on, grinding hard into each other and breathlessly kissing, biting, moaning.

If this was the so-called 'heaven' he spoke of in that letter, she wasn't complaining.

Sometime in their, ahem, ferocious battle, she had ended up on top of him, weaving her fingers into his red hair. That was when the thought struck her - now. It would be the perfect time to strike.

Blindly feeling for the kunai somewhere at her side, she felt metal and inwardly smirked, raising her hand to thrust it into his gut.

Too late.

His hand grasped her wrist tightly and he flipped her, pinning her to the bed with the kunai-gripping fist above her head.

"Sakura, Sakura." In one swift motion the kunai was wrenched from her hand and flung into the wall where it stuck. "You disappoint me."

She could still feel his hot breath on her lips and halfway desired to pull him to her, masochistic as she was. Instead, she lie there breathless, staring at him with brutal eyes.

He lowered his lips to hers again, giving her onemore kiss before pushing himself off and heading towards the window, collecting his puppet with a dance of blue strings. "I'll be around, cherry blossom."

With that, the s-class nin leapt from the window, vanishing into the night.

Sadly, there was only one true thought in her head -

Fucking tease.

x-x-x-x-x

**No one saw that one coming...**

**1 - That quote is from Andrew Lloyd Webber's _Phantom of the Opera_**

**Hopefully next update soon, no promises. I'm terrible about updates and consistancy.**

**(Obviously my consistancy sucks if I use a mix of Japanese terms in a story written otherwise lol. If I mess any of the terms up, understand it's because I'm a _white American _girl lol.)**


	7. Voices

**VII -**

The nights were sleepless, the days dragged on like old dogs too thick with fur and laden with fat to enjoy the world the way they once had.

Sakura stayed defensive like a wild animal, back to the wall during her minimal slumber, kunai under her pillow. Her senses had heightened, hearing becoming acute to that of a wolf and sight aligning with that of an eagle. All the better to hear and spy her enemy with.

The foursome had headed out of their resting place, the location of Sasori's most recent appearance, quite a few days earlier. Having been walking since nine-thirty this morning, Sakura could feel the dirt building on the bottoms of her feet. It was a texture you got used to after innumerous trips out of your home land.

"You're awfully quiet," Sai proded purposefully, purpose being to piss her off and get under her skin - as always. "Did that demon inside you finally crawl back to the ugly hole it came from, or, at least, that wide-spanning blockade that is your forehead?"

Sakura's eye twitched simultaneously with her fist's impulsive balling, but released the tension that had been mounting in her body for days. There was no mistaking that Sai was, well, a dick, but Sakura's frustrations were not meant to be taken out by bashing his face in and severing his (what she could only imagine to be miniscule) member off. A nin like herself had acquired patients with time -

"That's a nasty expression you're wearing, Ms. Haruno. It would be preferable you unfurrow your brow and unwrinkle your nose - who knows? It might actually make you pretty." Sai shrugged along with his statement, so eloquently worded it sounded as if it had melodically floated out from under the upturned nose of a homosexual male. "Then again, simply wearing a mask would do. That would kill two birds with one stone; I won't have to see your intolerable face and you can wear those hideous expressions until your heart's content."

Sparing a wayward glance at the pasty young male to her right, she caught the expression on the tanned, blonde boy's face behind him. The emotions beared in those blue eyes were fighting one another as well as mixing together; anger, frustration, sympathy, humor. It was an ironic and sickening combination, if any. Sakura turned her gaze to the road before her, leaving Sai's brutality to dissipate behind them in the breeze.

x - x - x - x - x

Yamato had to be deaf.

Of all the crude, rude and obnoxious commentary traded amongst the three (former) squad members of team seven, he said nothing if any one word passed his ears. Kakashi would have most certainly caught the appalling banter and had his fair input, defensive or dismissive.

Kakashi was always a nostalic thought in Sakura's mind. It had been what felt like decades since she had crossed paths with her ex-sensei.

That man, so gallant and charming in his lopsided mannerisms as well as lopsided mass of silver hair, was just another missing piece of Sakura's past. Just another piece that may never fall back into place, to re-construct her future.

The past; when team seven consisted of Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and her. When Ino and she had still been friends. When...

"We're here."

The gates of Sunagakure loomed before them, treaterous, scathed and welcoming like the arms of a war-warn soldier. Guards lined the gargantuan doors inch for inch, an outright and intentional display of Suna's military power. Whatever it takes to defend your country.

For most, Sunagakure would have been a fearsome place without the scar-faced soldiers standing with dark eyes watching every nook and crevice surrounding the sand city. The climate was terrible, the shinobi were soulless, yet one has yet to open their eyes until they bear witness to the Kazekage; born a demon, killing his own mother as well as those around him without feeling. Gaara's muderous days were over, but his capabilities to such wickedness had doubtfully withered.

Yamato approached the guards, who then proceeded to pull apart the gates to the desert just enough for Sakura's thin figure to weasle through. The entire country was on lockdown.

Inside the city, children frolicked, albiet heavily supervised by their parents. Citizens went about their daily errands, some with wandering eyes cautious of the sky above them and the shadows trailing their feet.

_What could have happened here?_

x - x - x - x - x

"We think it may be the Akatsuki," Gaara confirmed in a voice that had grown raspier with age. "What remains of them, at least."

Sakura stiffened in a cryptic way, as if experiencing rigor mortis as a living being.

"Haruno-san?" Gaara addressed her, surprisingly formal. "Are you feeling well?"

The blood had drained from her face, presumably leaving her pale as Sai. "Yes, continue."

Yamato interjected, seeming distinctly naive about the topic. "Most of them are dead, correct? If I recall what I heard, there are only five members remaining."

_Wrong._

"Yes," Gaara confirmed, _also incorrectly_. "Uchiha Itachi, Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu and Akasuna no Sasori are all deceased."

_Wrong, wrong, wrong._

"Hmm." Yamato mused, face pursed in question. "What about the others?"

"The only potential appearances that my shinobi have come to face are that of a mysterious man by the alias of Tobi; Deidara's former partner."

"Crazy little bastard," Naruto spat from under his breath. "Tobi isn't dead yet?"

Gaara shook his head disdainfully in reply. "It would be quite a relief to find that any of them have passed, but it is not likely."mi

Yamato sighed, Sakura still stood rigid. Sasori was more alive than he had ever been - ressurected by his own hands, now flesh and blood.

The man had, basically, been reborn for the third time.

How sickening.

"We will continue this conversation later. I have some side matters to tend to, as well you should be getting settled in."

"Right," Yamato agreed, pivoting ninety degrees as to face Gaara along with the door before taking leave. "We will see you come morning."

"Good evening, Captain."

_Getting settled in sounds terrible. This is not a mission for positive outcomes, but rather, a suicide quest._

x - x - x - x - x

**I know; it has been eons since I have last updated. I have become wrapped up in school and other such things, so please forgive the lack of advance on this story.**

**I'm sorry if I contradicted any earlier points - I can't remember all I wrote before detail for detail.**

**Please feel free to review. And **thank you **for all the reviews I've been getting. I appreciate it ^^**


	8. The Dead Walk

_**Eight -**_

Mummified by numerous blankets and huddled as much in the corner of the bed as she could be, Sakura fearfully eyed the window from which the moon luminated Suna's cooling nighttime environment.

She _knew_. Tonight, he would be here. Tonight she would be the stereotypical rape victim; alone in her room, frightened, helpless beneath a blanket of moonlight with a hand covering her mouth.

Oh God.

Shrinking further under the blankets, Sakura drew them over her head. For being eighteen with a copious amount of experience as a shinobi under her belt, paranoia gripped her surprisingly tight.

(**Tighter than a pair of my little sister's jeans, which look great on me by the way**)

Sakura's breathing came out in ragged pants as if she'd been sprinting. Inside, she had - running from the nightmare that would not leave.

A creak on the floorboards sent her into a fit of silence, engulfed in the blankets, hoping they could keep her safe from whatever fate had laid out for her on the other side of this fleece barrier.

"Now why are you hiding?"

A tumorous lump formed in the center of her throat. It made not an ounce of sense to her as to why she had become his sudden victim. Had it been because she had caused his original downfall, pulling him from his well-developed wooden body and unwillingly reincarnating him in human flesh?

A hand grabbed a fistfull of blanket and began to lower it from above her head. From beneath, Sakura held it above her. It was so disheartening to know that a blanket, warm, soft and comforting as it was, could not protect her from knives, swords, jutsus and human contact.

"Sakura," the sultry voice prompted, semi-muffled by the thick fabric draped over one ear and the pillow pressed beneath the other. "Come out. I won't hurt you, my blossom."

_Bullshit. _

_I'm not YOUR blossom._

Screwing her emerald eyes shut in hopes the agonizing terror would mysteriously vanish, her heart drummed furiously in her chest. In the past fourty-five minutes Sakura had engaged in no physical activity whatsoever, but her chest was tight and she gasped for breath as if she'd been running for miles away from the inevitable.

"Why are you wasting your time?" A deep voice inquired from the direction of the, apparently, open window. "She's of no importance, un. Just a bratty little girl from the fire country."

Sakura's heart took a leap that left her clutching her chest. The voice wasn't particularly familiar, but something told her to fear more than she already did.

"This _bratty little girl _is the one who took my life away, my years of work to create the perfect body. You needn't come with if you're going to act like an imbecile."

Pulling the blanket away from the corner of her face, Sakura chanced a peek at the window. Silhouette outlined by the silver, liquidy light pouring through the window, the man sitting there was tall and blonde.

The blanket got forcefully tugged away from her, leaving her grasping at the chilled night air. A squeak of surprise escaped her lips and her eyes fixed on the redhead, entranced.

"I'm glad to see your gorgeous face. It's nice to know you're free to join us."

_Join us?_

The blonde let out an audible laugh and leaned his head back against the window frame. "Why do you bother, Sasori? You could easily off her; she isn't even worth playing with."

A firm glare fixed the blonde's smug expression. Craning his neck out the window, he inhaled sharply and exhaled a broken breath.

"We shouldn't stay too long, un. Neither of us are particularly welcomed here."

Sasori's eyes stayed fixed on hers, a deeper and more accusatory red than those of Uchiha Sasuke.

Scrutinizing her features, Sasori seemed to have ceased breathing, before a puzzling smirk claimed his pale lips.

"You like games, don't you?" He addressed her, reaching out to place and hand on her cheek and trace it down her lengthened, soft neck.

The girl that had, over time, attained a ferocioius attitude had dissapeared, leaving her the skiddish little girl she had once been; mute.

"I truly am sorry," Sasori whispered, straining his voice for the sake of silence.

In a shitty attempt to escape, Sakura flailed one arm towards his face, but lost her vision to dizziness and abyss when his fingers addressed a pinpoint in her neck.

"You're so beautiful. I wish this were easier, my sweet, sweet flower."

_I'm dead._

x - x - x - x - x

Awakening to air sweet with dew and sticky from fresh moisture, Sakura awaited impatiently for her vision to come into complete focus. The process was agonizingly slow; a vintage camera on slow-motion.

Treetops came into focus, the moon and stars dancing a waltz in the background, moving along like a reel.

_Where am I?_

Light was beginning to seep into the sky, drifting over the the ground - at least she would presume. Unsteadily raising herself and inwardly groaning at the stiffness in her limbs, Sakura gazed downward at the earth very, very far below.

Her presumption correct, she pulled herself back onto whatever object was holding her up. It was easing closer to dawn, but the world was encased in a darkness deep enough to still withold the vision of what was apparently an artistic depiction of a bird. It was awe-striking that the matter was holding her, let alone manuvering throughout the sky.

The mass that it was made from was soft, somewhat arid under her fingertips. Running them curiously over the medium, a voice drew her attention.

"You weren't supposed to have re-gained consciousness yet, un."

At the helm of this ficticious creature was the blonde man from the window.

Sakura's temper began to flare as well as her fighting spirit before both died down at the reality of the fall it would be to the ground and the likelihood she would not be able to save herself.

_Be nice to the other children - they may spare your life._

Sakura shivered at the thought and the eminent chill in the air. The biting breeze slithered into the through her parted lips and took up residence beneath her skin like a morbid infection.

_Where are we?_

Keeping her questions to herself as not to agitate the impatient blonde who bore a distant resemblance to Ino (how frightening), Sakura attempted to come to terms with her surroundings, but they were too alien.

The wind swept her rosette locks dramatically behind her. By the looks of this scenario, she would have a decent amount of time to conjour an idea of escape.

Musing on the thoughts of her allies and friends back in Suna, she sent out a silent plea.

_Come find me. Hunt me down, search for me if I do not return soon._

_Please._

_

* * *

_

I'm sorry I have a tendency to write short chapters, I just find roadblocks and don't like making the individual chapters choppy by switching settings often.

_Soundtrack during the writing process:_

_- _Seize the Day, Avenged Sevenfold

- Situations, Escape the Fate

- World So Cold, Three Days Grace

- Over and Over, Three Days Grace

- Brick by Boring Brick, Paramore

- Bottoms Up, Trey Songz

- I've Got Friends, Manchester Orchestra

and many more.

- The bolded quote early on is a line from The Emo Song by Adam and Andrew. I did not think that up.


	9. Breathe the Silence

**- Nine - **

A/N:

All my sincerest apologies for taking so long to update. My life has become more than hectic with work, school, and social situations. I do check reviews even when I'm failing to update - thank you so much for all of them! It means a lot.

* * *

The hand-made winged creature descended from the sky, landing awkwardly and stirring up an array of dirt. It was so...alien from anything she had ever seen.

Sakura, at this point, wished she were still unconscious - God forbid, it could get her killed, but it would prevent her from having to face a man with (from what she could see) three mouths.

"Come on," the blonde snarled impatiently, tugging her off the soft bird. Sakura stumbled to catch her footing as he pulled her upright again and began dragging her towards a shabby little shithole that she would assume he called home.

Praise the Lord that Sasori was not anywhere in sight; hopefully he was nowhere in the near vicinity. Unconsciously, Sakura began writhing in the stranger's grasp, causing the freakish teeth of his right palm to sink into the skin of her arm.

"Shit!" The cry echoed through the treetops, bouncing off the tall trunks that hovered around and loomed above her. Her arm stung.

"Quit your whining, un," the boy bit in a gravely voice. "I don't want to listen to bitching."

"Then keep your rabid mouth off me," Sakura warned, fearful and weary. The fight had been driven from her after Sasori had targeted one of her chakra points and rendered her unconscious.

For being such a sadist, that man certainly picked the right companion to take his place in a time of leave.

"You're a pain in the ass," the blonde snarled, arm still gripped firmly, but teeth withdrawn from her skin. "Women should be seen, not heard, un."

While his voice was predominantly male, this 'man' could very well pose as a woman. Was it possible he was a transgender?

Sakura ventured daringly into the abysmal territory of topics-not-to-be-discussed-at-dinner:

"Why are you speaking then? A woman should not accuse another woman of being incompitent."

The teeth sank deep into the soft flesh, slight as it was to come by on her forearm, and held fast. Sakura choked on a deep breath and gnashed her teeth together in agony.

"I am no fool, un. You are incompitent, you lowly woman. Learn your place before I escort you to it."

The offer sounded altogether pleasant. Sakura reveled in the idea of freedom from the perdition she was being encompassed by.

"Take me there," Sakura dared him, feeling the searing pain his third mouth left. Was this the same affliction Sasuke had felt when Orochimaru had sunk his teeth into his pale neck, a wild beast yearning for its prey?

The blonde discounted her remark and continued onward with a baleful grip and a cryptic gaze. Pulling her forcefully through the entryway, three sets of eyes fell upon her writhing figure.

"Hallelujah, Jashin-sama!" One cried, eyes hungry and indulging in the sight of young blood before him. "Fresh meat."

Another, blue-skined and jagged-toothed snickered. "Deidara, you should know better than to bring a concubine back here. It's likely she will end a sacrifice."

Deidara. His visible blue eye narrowed, then rolled in adamant apathy. "She isn't mine, un. I admonish you not to lay a hand on her."

"Why the fuck not?" The silver-haired man cried, leaning over the edge of a faded, tattered sofa. "Do you know what you could get from this opportunity? Sex, blood, killing!" His hungry smile made her stomach jolt.

Another beast eyeing its prey, this one contemplating how to go about destroying it.

As much as she enjoyed the attention, the lustful cries of men aching to touch what they could not, the howls of a miscreant man were something altogether different.

"You'll be the one dying, un," Deidara reinstated. "Master Sasori stakes his claim on this one."

Sakura watched those, albiet, gorgeous violet-red eyes roll dramatically. "Screw Sasori. Kid, I'm _immortal_. What the fuck is he going to do, turn me into one of his fake companions?" The man scoffed. "Sasori himself is no longer sporting wood!" The man cackled at his own perverse humor.

The third man sitting in the room basked in silence, stoic and handsome. There was no mistaking their lack of acquaintance, yet he looked so familiar.

The animal-man sat with a devlish smile on his face but let the immortal damnation do the talking. In lieu of Deidara's forewarning, he turned behind him quickly and rashly looked for a second opinion.

"Itachi, you agree with me, don't you?"

The man's black eyes flickered onto her, a speck of red behind them. Sakura's chest tightened as her vision tricked her into seeing his face as another's:

Sasuke.

The resemblance was no longer foreign, but obvious. The name had a familiar sound but was one she had never learned.

_"I'll kill him."_

_"That man, he ruined our existance. We could have thrived, but he took all that power and bestowed it upon himself."_

_"I'll see to it he dies, watch him wither in long-awaited agony."_

_"I hate him."_

Itachi had a similar manner about him as his brother; quiet, unmoved by the people and events about him.

"No."

"Fuck it," the brash man grumbled. "All I know is Sasori can suck one. That gorgeous piece of meat is mine, mine to give to Jashin."

Who the hell was Jashin?

Still treating her as the lowly being he believed her to be, yet in a more guarded manner, Deidara led her up the stairs and enclosed them in a room.

"Shouldn't you have left me with that pig?" Sakura tested him, a deranged look in her emerald eyes. "I would have supposed you liked the idea of me being torn apart."

Deidara stared her down in a careless cold.

"If Master Sasori were not involved, I would have killed you myself by now, un," he disclosed. "I loathe misplaced superiority."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the naive hypocrite before her. "What do you say of yourself then, hm?"

He laughed and shook his head. "I am superior to certain persons, but beneath others. I know my position on the food chain."

"As well you should," Sakura remarked in a hush. Deidara gave her a painstakingly demonic look but turned the other way before acting on the impulse rushing through his veins. Sakura took note of the tongue on his left hand flicking out and licking around it, as if also hungry for the kill.

Were they all animalistic, with the possible exception of Sasuke's elder brother?

The door scraped the wooden floorboards as it opened, giving way to the same blue-faced man. He appeared as if he was suffering of hypothermia or had not bothered to inhale for quite some time.

"Be careful. Hidan is on a rage and determined to steal Sasori's little friend over there." He gestured loosely to Sakura.

Deidara glanced sideways at the man whose face bore a genuine resemblance to a fish. "I do not fear him. Tell him to try his hardest, un."

"I believe he's waiting for Sasori to return. Hidan enjoys a challenge, you should know."

"I do."

The strange man in the doorway eyed her with a blank face before a smile graced his face once more, a terribly hideous one. "I thought I would spread the word before Hidan spread blood."

Sakura felt a lurch in her stomach - sacrifice, blood, rape. Men of their status were beyond delusional and off kilter.

"I'll blow him up, un. He can have the joyous task of putting himself back together."

The man laughed, and stepped back from the doorway. "Enjoy babysitting. I hope you're getting paid."

"Screw you, Kisame," Deidara spat, eye twitching at the prospect. The door shut and once again the two bathed in an uncomfortable silence.

Sakura took a breath and exhaled, filling the room with the only dull, available silence. Coughing, she inquired another fact from the choleric man across the room.

"Why bother saving me? Are you truly that obidient to Sasori?"

He regarded her with an agitated expression and let his head fall back against the wall. "Yes."

"Interesting." Unwillingly, she had an S-Class criminal as a bodyguard, issued by another obsessive S-Class criminal.

Despite the threats and psychosis that were strongly regarded around here, the puppeteer's lack of presence was refreshing.

Amen.

* * *

_Writing Soundtrack - _

Wherever I Stand - Taproot

Man In the Box - Alice In Chains

Crawling In the Dark - Hoobastank

Half-Truism - The Offspring

Think Twice - Eve 6

Shout - Disturbed

Red Rain - Peter Gabriel

Passion Rules the Game - The Scorpions

Thank You For the Venom - My Chemical Romance


	10. In Jest

**Ten**

**_"Where the hell is the wench?"_**

The booming voice had Sakura pressing herself up against the wall, trying to keep her eyes open to all angles. If she was going to die in the current place and time, it was not going to be to a man who wanted to ravage her body before sacrificing her to some...thing.

**_"Quiet down," _**another voice reprimanded, throaty and tired.

**_"Who the hell are you to talk?" _**The familiar voice bellowed back. Sakura could imagine the silver-haired man getting in someone's face, gripping his scythe as a threat.

**_"Shut up, moron."_**

**_"Fuck you!"_**

The conversation died from there, the distinct cries of fury losing out to the strange mumbles of a different man.

Deidara cracked a smile as he fingered a ball of clay half-heartedly.

"What are you doing?" Sakura nosily inquired, mistrusting.

"Does it matter, un?"

Warily surveying his 'art', Sakura allowed her eyes to briefly slip to the door. There had been shoes scuffing down the hallway, the sound having completely ceased as of only seconds ago. The door eased open lazily, bearing way to a man with bright green eyes and a mask covering his mouth.

"What significance does she have to him, anyway?"

Sakura unreservedly stared at the tattered mess of a stranger, momentarily lapsing in thought and forgetting to breathe. Inhaling quickly and throwing herself into a coughing fit, the new man looked at her as if to say, 'Such a pity'.

Deidara shrugged, mouth pressed together in an unamused line. "Ask Sasori when he returns."

The man stood for a moment, saying nothing, before turning away with a retort of, "Too much effort".

Who the hell was that?

"Hey!" Deidara called after him. The man pivoted around approximately ninety degrees with an unamused look on his face. "Tell Hidan to shut the fuck up."

The stranger cracked a smile that radiated in his eyes before turning around and walking away.

Sakura pressed further to the wall, eyeing the open door fearfully.

**_"Go fuck yourself, girly boy!" _**The hostile cry echoed through the halls. Deidara's visible eye creased unhappily, but he kept silent and closed his eye once again.

Sakura stared down the open doorway; it appeared to her a hungry mouth, taunting her by displaying glimpses of freedom through ragged teeth. In her case, these ragged teeth were men blessed (cursed?) with immense power and vast amounts of ill thoughts.

That leering wooden frame was too much for even a jounin-level fire shinobi to handle, what with the knowledge of the beasts lurking outside it.

The window groaned from beside her as it was pushed open, giving way to a perturbed redhead.

"Thank God you finally returned, un," Deidara breathed in relief, basking in his partner's presence as if he were a diety. "I cannot stand this - her - anymore."

Sasori gazed at the blonde briefly before dusting off his cloak. "You may go, then."

Deidara's face read surprised as his mentor dismissed him. The shock on his face twisted into outright envy at Sasori's new pecking order.

As he departed, Deidara fixed her with a warning glare and a sneer. Sakura fought the incessant urge to stick out her tongue at him.

Sasori's presence made her brave, despite its negative connotation. The puppeteer looked all too focused on something she was unable to discern, which left her with the desicion to either acknowledge his presence furthermore or attempt to ignore it completely.

Rolling over onto her side, back to his lifeless form, Sakura opted for the second choice.

"I'm elated to see you as well," Sasori mocked her. When she turned back over to pay some respect to the man who deserved naught, he was focused on a doll in his hands. Sakura took his activities as an indication of disinterest and flopped back onto her side, leaving him in company with only himself.

Sasori snorted at this, obviously irritable yet too unconcerned to act towards Sakura's introverted behavior.

Good. Damn psycho.

"Nice to see you're back!" An ecstatic voice cried from the doorway. "You came back and you're playing with dolls...while you have a fucking woman in your room. You're gay, aren't you?"

Despite Hidan's aggressive demeanor and the looming threat of rape and death that followed him like a potent stench, his rude comments made her smile.

"Is it wrong that I think strategically, not with my dick?"

Sakura bit into her lip, highly amused. Two grown men arguing, albiet reknowned and fear-striking ones, was hysterical.

"What's wrong with thinking with your dick? If you've got it, might as well use it."

The humor was lost as soon as the smart-ass remarks took a turn down a path that lead to crude nature.

Sasori persisted his censorship, peeving Hidan all the more. Sakura heard a muffled snigger before Hidan bit the bait and continued running his mouth.

"That's what I thought. You're no man, damn piece of wood."

Sakura lie there, tempted to correct Hidan's statement of Sasori being a 'piece of wood', for he was no longer.

"Imbecile." With said comment thrown into the blaze, Sasori ambled forward and shut the door gently in Hidan's face.

**_"Fuck you!"_**

Sakura sighed, unsure whether to be joyed that Hidan was gone or unnerved by Sasori's lone presence.

Feeling daring enough to turn over, Sasori was still fixated on his work rather than her. It felt strange to see a man so obsessed with her intrigued by something else.

It almost made her jealous.

Sasori's face, still flat and blank as a skipping stone, gave way a bit as he finally turned toward her.

"You bore me," he stated rather bluntly, easing himself up from the crouch he'd taken to fidget with his newest puppet.

"I bore you?" Sakura's face twisted; she was shocked, moreover, angry.

"Yes."

Sakura sat upright and peered at the man as if attempting to pick him apart.

"How do I bore you?"

Sasori looked up, contemplating her question.

"How do you bore me...? Perhaps it is the fact that you no longer squirm when I appear, or maybe that you have the gall to challenge me."

Sakura laughed. "That bores you? The fact that I challenge you, give you a fight, bores you?"

Sasori gave her a look, silently telling, as she would have believed, 'You are a fool'.

Without an answer, he began to once more mull over his work, leaving her to do as she desired.

Opening her mouth, Sakura had her decision made to test him as she had Deidara.

"So, if I walked out there right now and let that maniac sacrifice me...?"

"Go."

Sakura reeled back, feeling as if he had slapped her.

"You'd let me die? You brought me here just to come to the conclusion you no longer want me?"

Sasori looked up through his garnet eyes.

"Is that distress in your voice?"

Sakura's thoughts went dead for a moment before figuring out the scheme laid quite blatantly before her.

"No, you bastard!"

Sasori's mouth twitched in the corner.

"I'm flattered."

"Bite me!"

The geezer laughed, a bright smile lighting his inhuman face. For a moment, he reminded her of Kakashi. The thought put her over the edge.

Goddamned perverted old men.

* * *

I was actually watching Shippuden during part of my writing process ^^

_Soundtrack to Writing:_

Walking On Air - Kerli

Rape Me - Nirvana

Living In a Dream - Finger Eleven

Toxicity - System of a Down

Zombie - The Cranberries


	11. Dying For Life

**Sorry for the very, very delayed update. I've got no real reason this time...but I'm back. Hope you enjoy the chapter (:**

Eleven ~

* * *

As night crept in, it was only then that Sakura began contemplating whether making a break for it was safe while being stowed away in a house full of criminals; she was in the same room as one, and if she succeeded to get past him, there were at least seven others.

Oi.

Days passed, and with each came a new-found lack of patience for the fact that her skills as a shinobi were underused or of no good use at all.

Well..._shit_.

Sasori had taken the liberty of letting her sleep on her own rather than with him, and Sakura found herself wondering how light of a sleeper he was or was not. By now, she knew if she was to be killed, Sasori wouldn't be the one to do it, so she tried her luck.

Suppressing her chakra as much as possible, Sakura eased herself off her cot and onto the floor. The loudest part of this would be her heartbeat, which hopefully none of the Akatsuki had the ability to hear.

Reaching a midpoint in the room, Sakura glanced first to the door, then the window. The window would be the most convenient escape, were it not next to Sasori's head. Heaving a silent sigh, Sakura headed in the direction of the door, knowing it would be her best bet out.

With the turn of the knob and each inch she pulled the door open, Sakura kept her gaze behind to her assure that Sasori had not woken up. Thankfully, he had yet to, but that did not mean he wouldn't once the door was shut behind her.

Once the task of shutting the door was complete, Sakura stood nervously in the hall, listening for any indication of her captor being conscious. There was not.

One foot fell in front of the other as she edged towards the stairs, attempting to keep an eye out in the blinding darkness. As her feet reached the floor, a noise caught her attention, and her head shot up to survey where it had come from.

In the blackness it was hard to make out anything, but she had to try. Focusing, she honed in on the chakra and felt a lump in her throat. The chakra source was too prominent to be closed behind a door, where any of the dormant members were. Instead, it was a couple yards away, lingering through the next door frame.

Holy hell.

Depending on whom the chakra belonged to, she had a better chance of escaping, or at the very least, surviving. Part of her prayed it was the irritable blonde, for he knew better than to hurt her. There was no guarantee he wouldn't, but it was more of a plausible outcome then if the chakra was radiating from the psychotic immortal. Knowing better, he was awake one way or another.

Shit.

Fuck.

Bitch.

Damn.

An array of colorful swears ran through her head continuously as she eased herself against the wall, careful to avoid doorways. As she inched closer to what she presumed was the exit, the chakra faded away.

Too quickly.

She froze, fearful of where the presence had suddenly gone. If it had gradually faded, she wouldn't have worried, but it had disappeared completely.

Pressing her head back to the wall, she inhaled deeply and held her breath, praying for a somewhat positive outcome.

The chakra reappeared, strong, only a few feet away from her. Sakura kept her eyes screwed shut, too afraid to open them and see what stood before her.

It wasn't like her to be so frightened, but knowing one of the most elite shinobi was standing before her with the ability to easily off her was a lot to take in.

Fingers ran through her hair, and she attempted to crawl up the wall to pry herself from the touch. If she was lucky, she was keeping herself blind from the sight of Sasori before her.

No. It was the same chakra that had been present before. Sasori had still been in his room at that point.

Shit.

Her breathing was ragged, though she kept it as stable as she could. Part of her longed to open her eyes to knew who she may have to fight, but the other knew it would provoke too great of an anxiety to help her.

Mind spinning, the voice that spoke to her sounded diluted, keeping her from placing it completely.

The words gave her a distinct idea whom they were coming from though.

"You're quite lovely, especially when you're frightened."

The choice of words, the way they had been _purred_, not said. While it wasn't completely the voice she knew, her fear was distorting everything.

For all she knew, it could belong to someone she didn't know.

The fingers trailed from her hair, down past her ear and neck to her collarbone. There, they stopped, then crept back up to wholly lay on her neck.

What was he going to do? Strangle her?

"A shinobi that is scared to open her eyes? Hah."

Sakura's head spun, but the statement irritated her. Yes, she was scared, but it wasn't like her to let someone know it.

"I'm not."

With that, she opened her eyes, coming face to face with only one eye. The sight made her attempt to back up, momentarily forgetting there was a wall to her back.

"He'll kill you if he sees you touching me," she threatened, ignoring the fact that she couldn't give a damn about Sasori. She only used the puppeteer as her excuse to keep her safe from the rest of the Akatsuki.

"You're the one trying to run away from him, un," the blonde stated, trailing his fingers down her jawbone until they dropped completely. "If you really want to go, I could let you."

There was something sick in his voice; it was the way he said it, not the choice of words. The statement sounded far too easy to come without strings.

"For what?" She snapped, knowing well that she was playing herself for a fool if she thought there were no strings.

He laughed, a smirk tugging lightly at half of his mouth.

"You're a smart girl. Tell me what a man in his early twenties would accept in trade for something like this, un."

The look in his visible eye made her nauseous. It wasn't as if Sasori hadn't made a move on her, but he had never _forced _it. Nor had he alluded to the fact that he would take every advantage he could.

"Fuck you," she spat, attempting to squirm away from him. "I would rather go crawling back to him."

Deidara laughed, as if he found her response stupid.

"Attaining your freedom by one little favor, or staying captive and letting your life go by as you sit next to a man old enough to be your father."

His words stung. It was a harsh reality, but he had a valid point.

"There's no guarantee you'll actually let me go. For all I know..."

"For what, un? Sasori will believe every word you say. If you agreed, keeping you or killing you couldn't be a solution."

It was a foul thought, but it would win her freedom.

Unless, for some reason, he was gay as she'd first thought and wanted her to find him a guy.

That would be too easy as well, plus, she was quite sure this headcase was straight.

Dammit.

"If I do this..."

"You'll have your freedom."

_I don't believe you..._

The offer seemed too good to be true, but Deidara had a point. Sasori would trace it back to him if she were found dead, and if he let her stay afterward, she could rat him to Sasori, who would likely kill his partner for doing so.

She felt like vomiting, but it was the closest thing to a solution.

"Fine."

Deidara snickered, and she waited for him to take back his offer. As he slunk away, she watched him warily.

"You following me, un, or hoping I'll let you run? I'm nice, but not that nice."

_Nice _wasn't her choice word for him. Swallowing her pride and fear, she fell into line quite a bit behind him, mentally preparing herself for the furthest depth of hell.

Ironically, it was the only one getting her out.

* * *

**No soundtrack to this chapter, and I recognize that it's taken a dark turn. Hope you liked it, and once again, sorry for the delay.**

**Thank you for all the reviews in the meantime!  
**


	12. Letting Your Life Go By

**Twelve ~**

* * *

The dread felt like a fire dying out in her stomach as she followed Deidara down the corridor. Her moral compass swung back and forth, questioning whether her decision really was the correct one to be made. Even still, as she took her walk of shame, Sakura had not concluded what was 'right' and what was 'wrong'.

Everything was eerily quiet; not one of the other members were stirring. _Someone _had to be awake. If she were lucky, maybe one of them would come out of their room right then and encounter her in the blackness, unknowingly saving her from her grotesque fate.

Luck had not been on her side lately, unfortunately, if her current situation wasn't a perfect example of this. Sakura felt her hands trembling as she followed Deidara through a doorway - presumably his room's - and he shut it behind her. Sakura longed to be able to just lie down and accept her fate as she fell asleep across the room from her original captor. Sasori was nothing shy of mentally disturbed, as most or all of them were, but he seemed a bit more sane than his partner. Perhaps it was the age difference, or maybe just genetics. Now wasn't the time to be analyzing factors that contributed to s-ranked criminals' behaviors.

An arm looped loosely around her waist, slowly tightening like a snake on its prey. The nauseated feeling returned, willing Sakura to vomit. If she did, as nasty as _that _would be - thought it couldn't be worse than what was to come - perhaps he would let her go, if only to return back upstairs. No. In reality, he would probably lose his temper and toss her into a wall. The noise would cause a ruckus, and one or more people were bound to question it. He couldn't do that, either, then. If anyone noticed, he would have to find a way around exposing the fact that the loud noise occurred from harming her, and that would be a bit of a feat.

Focusing on the moment at hand, Sakura stared down at Deidara's right hand. It only then occurred to her that a mouth was resting on her stomach. The thought made her want to writhe in disgust, but moving most likely would plunge her deeper into this ugly consequence she'd agreed to.

Back outside, she could have said no. Impulsively speaking, the idea had sounded good - it was a sensible way to attain her freedom. As she had followed Deidara through the endless darkness, however, it had clicked that she was voluntarily scarring herself. Consenting to a criminal having whatever he wanted from her was ludicrous; at least, with Sasori, it wasn't _whatever _he wanted and she had the drive to fight him.

Maybe that drive came from the fact that she had discovered, over time, that Sasori would never hurt her. If he did, it was nothing extreme, nothing she couldn't heal. The fear the other members of the Akatsuki evoked in her was largely due to their lack of self-control and/or their apathy towards other people, even one another. The only exceptions Sakura had found to this seemed to be Itachi and Kisame, Kisame mainly due to the fact that his partner kept him in check. Then again, out of every member she'd encounter, Itachi was the only one that was wholly human.

Deidara pressed his face into her neck, his hot breath feeling like it invoked burns on her skin.

_I don't want to do this._

_I've changed my mind._

Sakura shut her eyes tight, attempting to push all of her grim thoughts away. If she kept her mind blank, the experience would be a fraction less horrible.

So she would hope.

Along her neck, she felt a distinct wetness, and she lost her cool immediately after.

"I take it back. I would rather stay here and rot beside the loon that's twice my age."

To her surprise, he pulled back without protest and went to sit on his bed. "The door's that way, un, but your freedom isn't."

Sakura gave him a dirty look before heading out of his room. In reality, she _could _say something to Sasori about the minimal events that had occurred, but it wasn't something she wanted to address. The ideal for the situation was to forget about it entirely, and eventually conjure a new idea for how to free herself of this madhouse.

As she pushed open the door to Sasori's room, he rolled over and gave her an intense look.

"Where did you go?"

"...bathroom?"

The thought came out more as a question than a statement, but it was a satisfactory reply for Sasori.

"You should be more careful. No one will care whether or not you need to utilize the bathroom if they can get a hold of you for their own reasons."

Attempting to suppress the memory of the fleeting moment of being alone with the most-likely-to-be-gay-but-straight member of the organization, Sakura took to sarcasm to save her mind.

"And you care if I have to use the bathroom?"

Sasori snickered. "That isn't quite how I'd put it, but I won't stop you from using it if you have to. In honesty, what's there to care about?"

He had a point. Sakura stalked over to her cot and flopped down onto it, pressing her face into the pillow she'd been given. It had been too long; she didn't want to be here any more, not that she'd ever. While she was treated like a human being by Sasori, it wasn't safe to wander outside of his room unless she was accompanied by him. As well, Sakura occasionally having the drive to fight, but it was nearly impossible to survive an encounter with one of these men on your own, let alone the entire organization.

"When will you let me go back to my life?" Sakura dared to ask, staring Sasori down as she waited for her answer. At first she received only silence, but he formed words eventually.

"Hn, when I feel like it. Currently, I don't."

_Screw you._

Sakura wasn't sure what had given her the idea that inquiring of Sasori when he would grant her freedom would actually set her free, but anything was worth a shot. Not quite _anything_, but quite a few things were worth chancing, especially if they were as harmless as a question.

Sakura shut her eyes, exhaling gently now that she was in the closest place to what she could consider a safe haven. The silence was comforting, as was the space she was allowed to decide whether or not she wanted. Of course, it didn't stop Sasori from asking some questions of her own.

"You know, I might consider freeing you a bit more if you sleep with me tonight."

"Forget it."

Sakura was too burnt out from her brief encounter with Deidara to even contemplate agreeing to lie in the same bed as a man missing half his mind.

"That's too bad. I really was thinking of letting you go. You know, there's a phrase: if you love something, set it free."

Sakura exhaled loudly, attempting to make her dramatics as audible as possible.

"As much as I'd like to be free, I would hope you didn't have _any _sincere feelings for me, so I'll compromise my freedom for my sanity. Thanks anyway old man."

"Such disrespect for your elders..."

"Disrespect?" Sakura thought aloud, turning to face her red-haired captor. "You call _that _disrespect? What do you consider _this_? Stealing a girl away from her business to keep her as a pet, not even interrogate or beat her like a real shinobi. What kind of a renowned criminal are you? A con?"

Sakura hadn't been able to control her thoughts; they were dangerous to announce, seeing as it sounded as if she advocated torture and imprisonment, but it was appalling. Sasori was one of the ten - now, nine - members of the Akatsuki, and he acted as if he were a psychotic fifteen-year-old boy with a crush who'd never been properly loved as a child. Hell, he was psychotic and perhaps he hadn't been loved as a kid, but with his world-renown status you would think he would take it upon himself to act more...responsibly?

No. Not responsibly, but in character. Almost every other member she'd encountered certainly did, especially Deidara and Hidan. They were conniving, sadistic, self-serving assholes who used their power to invoke pain to and destroy almost every damn thing they saw. When she'd thought of the Akatsuki, _that's _what she thought of; men who crawled from the depths of hell to walk the earth looking for flesh to tear, bones to break, and lust - blood and otherwise - to satisfy.

When Sasori had first began preying on her, it seemed everything would amount to what she feared. Instead, he treated her with indifference, wanting to inflict pain and fear in her but protecting her all the same. Maybe it was torture, in some odd manner, but it was a pathetic attempt at it. Sakura would much have preferred the respect and honor of being properly ripped apart.

Sasori hadn't answered her, and Sakura took his silence one of two ways; either the puppeteer had fallen asleep, or he was choosing to ignore her outburst. With nothing else to do and no desire to rest, Sakura began contemplating if it would have been worth it to compromise her _sanity _for _freedom_. Deidara had given her the chance, not that she had necessarily trusted his word. It had been something worth considering, but she had impulsively agreed, then disagreed. Now she wondered where she would have been had she stayed; sprinting back to meet her team? Lying lifeless on the floor, dismembered? Lying beside him, the way Sasori had attempted to convince her to? It was too much to consider, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it now.

The longer she found herself captive, the more Sakura considered her situation hopeless. It seemed plausible that she could possibly spend the rest of her days wasting away as a toy to some screwed up man, until he died, but even if he were to perish, she would probably be passed off to another member like a hand-me-down.

There was so much to aspire to these days, it was overwhelming.

Right.

Sakura found her breathing evening out as sleep began to tug at her conscious. It was inevitable to avoid its grasp, so she closed her eyes and let go. It took a decent amount of time to release enough tension to settle, but eventually she began to slip under, listening to familiar words echoing through her mind.

_"Attaining your freedom by one little favor, or staying captive and letting your life go by..."_

_"Letting your life go by..."_

_"Letting your life go by..."_

_"Go by..."_

_"By..."_

* * *

**Hope the chapters are satisfactory. Reviews are great, as always.**_  
_


	13. Chants of the Children

**Thirteen -**

* * *

_The sand twisted around her, filling her lungs and blinding her vision. Between hacking coughs, she stumbled forward, eager to get out of the desert and the storm - literally - blowing in._

_With no freedom or luck in sight, praying was the only option she truly had._

'_Kami-sama…'_

_Her body began to levitate from the ground, skin being tugged at in select places. It was horrid; watching herself be raised by some unseen force. _

_The sands followed her higher and higher, up until she could stare into the eye of the blood-red setting sun. It looked so frightening and familiar._

_One arm jerked up, followed by the other, until she was dancing amidst the whirling storm. _

_What was happening?_

_Laughter rolled in on the fierce wind, a malevolent snicker, one every kid hides from beneath their _

_blankets._

_The strong winds flowed into a dismal melody. The sound was akin to that of a music box; creaky, soft, old, eerie. Children's voices spun with the wind, caught within that haunting melody._

_Another tug. Turning to her arm, she could see blood running from it where a string had been laced. The same was true for her opposite arm, both legs, and the back of her neck; the trickling feeling gave that much away._

_The laughter continued, swallowed by the lost voices of children, in time with the dance she was being led to do._

_A puppet; not led by chakra, nor made of wood. There were strings sewn into her flesh, moving her body against her will. _

_The sounds around her blocked out her thoughts, the sand blinded her eyes. _

"_Sakura-chan."_

"_Sakura…"_

_The distinct voice called out to her, echoed by the children's. Eventually, the masculine voice had faded out altogether, leaving only the melodic harmonies of little ones calling out to her like a nursery rhyme. _

"_Sakura, Sakura. Sakura…Sakura…"_

x - x - x

The sun broke through the darkness like heaven's light, pulling her from the horrid place she'd been stuck in. Sakura ran her hands along her arms and the back of her neck, reassuring herself that her body was still hers to control.

Standing up from the bed, she surveyed the room, unconsciously reaching for her side where a kunai was typically located. Sleep still had hold on her, which became all the more obvious when all she grasped at was fabric and skin.

For having been captive for weeks, the fear and paranoia had begun to wore off until last night. Sakura could still taste the graininess in her mouth and struggled to see through bleary eyes. She also had the unconscious need to touch where her skin had been laced with threads.

The simulative feeling made her shutter; it had not been an actual physical experience, but the thought was torturous. Stitched together like a torn doll. Disgusting.

Luck befell her, as she was the only inhabitant of the room this morning. It was well past dawn, as the sun's position indicated, and the puppeteer was nowhere to be seen.

A rapping at the door startled drew her from her fearful trance, increasing her heartbeat at a rapid pace. Stalking to the door, she pressed her back to it, allowing her shinobi instincts to overtake her cowardice.

"What?"

"Lose the tone, un," the voice warned from the other side of the door. Pressure forced against her through the flimsy wood, and drew away only to make demands.

"Get away from the door."

Sakura shot daggers through it as her mind raced, sick of idle time and longing desperately for freedom. Glancing frantically around the room for any makeshift or actual weapon, she relinquished her pride as she found nothing.

Akasuna no Sasori was not stupid enough to leave a prisoner with weapons; nor was any other member of the Akatsuki.

Sakura pulled the door open, sweeping up a breeze in likeness to that of her nightmare's. Before her stood the blonde man, sans cloak, eyeing her from his one visible azure eye. Deidara idled for a moment before grabbing at her wrist and yanking her from the room.

"Let's go."

Sakura retaliated instinctually, jabbing his hand with a decent amount of force.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The blonde sneered and shook his head.

"Freeing you."

Sakura stared dumbly at him, unable to comprehend the concept he'd just thrown at her.

Sasori's partner, freeing her without demands?

Impossible…

There was something off about him; his physical presence appeared the same, but beneath the pale flesh something was awry. Sakura was unable to pin it, valiantly attempting to in the fleeting moments, but incapable of doing so.

"You," Sakura ventured, sarcasm and irritability rather audible in her tone, "are going to set me free?"

Deidara gave her a once-over and turned his back to her.

"I believe that's what I said, un."

Sakura lingered in Sasori's doorway, contemplating the potential risks and outcomes of either situation. Stay, go. Either way seemed overly dismal…

"_Attaining your freedom by one little favor…"_

The words walked through her mind like a bow-legged old man; painfully prominent and harsh to accept. Those had been Deidara's terms in order to let her go. Why would sadist meander up to his partner's door simply to tell his hostage,

'I'm freeing you'?

The opportunity was too good. The feeling it gave her was the exact feeling she'd had whenever Naruto came 'close' to bringing Sasuke back. Anxious, hopeful, but behind all those rushing emotions, the ominous truth lingered.

Then, it was that no matter what promises were made, no matter how many times the men went out searching, no matter if she were hopeful or not, Sasuke would never return.

Now, it was the fact of the matter that freedom was at her fingertips, anxiety overruling the clarity of her thoughts, but something in her conscious fought her, warning her that it wasn't right.

It was, true to the cliché phrase, too good to be true.

"I'll take my chances here," Sakura stated stubbornly, backing through the doorway and warily grasping the frame. She was ready to slam the door shut in his face at any moment.

"Sakura-chan…Sakura."

Her name sounded wrong on his lips. Sakura-_chan_? The formality was unnecessary and uncharacteristic of him. Despite her longing to see the outside of this malicious hellhole, her gut feelings overrode that desire and kept her rooted where she stood.

"Sakura-chan? Who the _fuck_ are you calling Sakura-chan?"

Her emerald eyes narrowed at him, searching his face for any indication of falsity. It was there, dancing behind his visible eye; that wasn't him. There was no way the man standing before her was the Akatsuki's pyromaniac, Deidara.

When she laughed, the sound came out as disgusting as she was feeling. If this wasn't Deidara, who the hell was attempting to lure her from what 'safety' she had in Sasori's chambers?

"You aren't Deidara…there's no way." Through her words, her laughter continued. The giggles were nervous, a poor excuse for bravery. Any wise man knew that more complex forms of ninjutsu could be used to take on the appearance of another. "Who are you?"

The man before her hesitated, visible eye widening for a moment; a sheer sign of his deceit. Sakura grasped the doorframe tighter, hissing the words at him:

"Who are you?"

* * *

**8/22: **I cut this chapter short for effect; don't worry, I know where I want this to go and where it will.

However, I have just started my fall semester, so if the update is delayed (or any future one), this is why. My classes continue until mid-December.

I hope this fulfills your need for an update. The next chapter (if it goes the way I plan), should be the longest yet.

My goal is to increase the length of my chapters. Just know that I stopped this one where I did **_for a reason._**

Thank you for all the reviews, they're wonderful. **_  
_**


	14. Who I Am

**Fourteen -**

**Due to the content that is to come ahead (language, etc.) I **will **be changing the rating to M.**

**On another note, thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate all of them alongside the favorites, alerts, and all else.**

**You're all great!**

* * *

"Who are you?"

The figure hovered before her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Sakura was not sure whether to stay and await his answer or shove the door shut in his face.

"Sakura."

"Who?"

Sakura fought valiantly to fight the urge to scream at him, anxiety building inside of her. Depending, this man could be less or more dangerous than he actual Deidara…

Wherever he happened to be.

It surprised her that a fake could have slipped undetected into the home of the world's most skilled assassins. The probability that it was one of the other inhabitants was good…

The man staggered forward, forcibly causing her to stagger back. She grabbed at the door to slam it between them, but missed altogether and found herself deeper into the room. He pushed the door closed himself, inching his way closer.

"Who? Who the hell are you?"

"Shh, Sakura." The voice had changed; no longer was it a deep, masculine tone, but a higher tone. "It's me."

Sakura stared as the figure disappeared into a cloud of smoke before reappearing as an all-too-familiar figure.

"Naruto?"

There before her stood her longtime friend and teammate, cocky smirk on his lips and a frantic look in his eyes. He approached her, one casual step at a time, before coming to stop before her and offer her his hand.

"Come on."

Sakura hesitated; nothing felt suspicious in this scenario, but it was safest to be doubtful. Naruto held a look of genuine concern and determination in his eyes, just like he always did when something even mildly interesting arose.

It had to be the shock keeping her at a standstill, but Sakura could not bring herself to move any closer to her friend. If it was him - truly, him - how the hell did he manage to get in here? Naruto had the ability to do a lot of mischievous and dangerous things, but this…didn't seem possible.

"Sakura-chan?"

Her hesitation was ultimately her downfall; Sakura watched in a mix of curiosity and horror as the door behind him slowly opened, seemingly on its own.

"Naruto…"

Each step she took was methodic, afraid for her life and his. Sakura knew, especially as an adolescent, that she had been a weak shinobi, but she would have never figured the thought would come about at a time like this. Was she still weak? Weak, because she had failed to release herself from the confines of this ward?

The door was only ajar enough to peer into the hallway, but closed enough to conceal any figure who chose to stand behind it. Sakura attempted to ignore that fact as she made her way over to her teammate, praying for their lives.

"For someone who is so revered, you made a mockery of me, un," a voice admonished from the other side of the door.

_No…_

Naruto grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the window, leaping through it as a small bird trailed them, exploding after they distanced themselves by a few yards.

Sakura hadn't the faintest clue where they were going or how to get back to civilization, so she found herself wholeheartedly relying on the blonde. Naruto had a furious look on his face as he dove through the trees, occasionally looking back to make sure she was keeping up with him.

Both of them had failed to see a caterpillar inching its way up a tree before them, only becoming aware of it when it blew. The tree's bark cracked in various places and a large branch came flying off, almost taking out her right side.

It was a battle neither of them had prepared for; of course, Sakura had to question how Naruto had been unprepared when he had infiltrated a highly regarded assassins' organization.

The explosions continued around them from an aerial attack, and Sakura caught sight of something that unnerved her more; a figure, darting in front of them, keeping their pace.

Shit.

"Naruto!"

The blonde took a fleeting glance back to see what his companion had cried for, and dove down with her, taking refuge from the aerial attacks. They still hit, of course, but it bought them some time.

Sakura hoped it had also bought them time from the unidentified figure that had also been trailing them.

She could still see it; black and red.

Sasori?

Her insides churned as acid rose in her throat, a powerful taste that she did her best to will down. Now was most definitely not the time to get sick.

Through the sound of explosions, Sakura heard a maniacal cry as the figure appeared before them, wielding a long scythe.

"Surprise, fuckers!"

Sakura watched in horror as the wild man swung his weapon forward, catching Naruto dead in the abdomen.

"Naruto!"

The explosions had stopped, but a thud behind her alerted her to the second presence.

"Nice job, un," Deidara congratulated from behind her in reference to Hidan's dead-on hit.

The silver-haired man chortled, a wide smirk sprawled on his face.

"Shit. So much blood…Jashin would be proud."

Blood. Sakura watched Naruto cough it up, watched it leak from his abdomen as Hidan forced the triple-blade further into his gut and twisted it a bit.

How could a boy, once so foolish but now so wise, make such a cruel error?

Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to break. Holding them back to keep from prompting further injury to the boy, she balled her fists and sneered.

"Bastard! Let him go. I know what you want, and killing him won't get you any closer."

Hidan looked up; Deidara's visible eye burned into her back. Despite her attempted bargaining, Hidan ran his tongue along his lips and eyed the blood soaking through the fabric of Naruto's shirt.

"I don't know…what's better? Blood lust or just lust in general?"

His eyes scanned her frame, holding the blade in place. At any moment he could withdraw it or shove it further into the already-torn flesh which was bleeding profusely.

"I don't know about you," the deep voice from behind her hissed, "but I would rather a female body, un. You can't fuck a corpse - at least a man's."

Hidan eyed the figure behind her before forcefully pulling his weapon from Naruto's gut and letting it fall to his side, still dripping blood. Naruto coughed again, propelling more blood from his mouth as well as his gut.

"Naruto…"

Fingers ran through her hair.

"You are the one who made the offer, un. You want him to live? Give us a reason."

Hidan laughed and eyed her lustfully.

"Hell, we could take both, but I'm willing to let him die on his own if you're willing to keep your mouth shut unless you're screaming my name."

Sakura wanted to hurl. She couldn't tell if Sasori was allowing - encouraging - this punishment or was blind to it altogether. She was also unable to decide whether - assuming he was unaware - he would go after his partner and Hidan or spare them.

Which was worth more, the life of a loyal shinobi girl or that of a man who could match your force?

_Naruto…_

Sakura did not know who to pay attention to; her teammate, who was crippled and on the ground, clutching his torn stomach, or the two men moving in from either side of her. She was praying, dearly hoping something would come up. Her foresight - whatever she actually had of it - told her she was merciless this time.

Tears began to streak her cheeks, though she managed to keep her composure otherwise. The crying was involuntary; the tears slipped from her eyes without so much as a blink.

What would they do with her after they…_finished_? Kill her? Let her go? Drag her back and leave her at Sasori's disposal, hopeful that she wouldn't run her mouth?

It was agonizing to contemplate it all, but it was nearly impossible to shut the thoughts out. She felt as if her life should have been flashing before her eyes, like she was facing death head-on.

In an essence, she was. The Akatsuki was death; all nine members of them. Although she had only truly encountered three of them, witnessed five or thereabout, Sakura knew better than to assume the others were any less.

Orochimaru had been a member at one point, a cynical manipulative bastard that ended up on his own, pulling strings on people like Sasuke.

Sasuke…

Even if he were here, he wouldn't save her. He was just as cold as every member of the Akatsuki was.

Things had changed, and the circumstances she was under were too. Sakura didn't know who the real predator was anymore; the man who had originally begun tormenting and captured her, or the rest of the organization who was desperate to ravage her body and presumably leave her for dead.

It was sick, wanting a girl so young. None of them cared; they were all shunned from society as it was. No other illegal act could hurt their reputation any more than everything else they did already had.

Sakura kept her gaze on Naruto, who was now writhing on the ground, struggling against the pain. Behind her, the fingers tangled deeper into her hair, and another arm slinked around her waist as a face buried against her head too.

"I bet you taste good, un. Don't you?"

"Hey, shitface. Want to back the hell off? I called dibs on the bitch too."

Deidara wouldn't back off; nor would Hidan. They both wanted her for what they could get, and with Naruto down and from what she could tell, no one coming to save her, it looked to be quite the possibility.

Hidan approached her from the front as Deidara held her from behind. His hand - covered in blood from the substance dripping down his scythe - reached out to stroke her face. The feeling was more than she could stomach; blood - Naruto's - wet and warm as he rubbed it into her skin.

"The girly man's right - you look damn well delicious. I'm sure Jashin wouldn't mind tasting you either."

"Fuck Jashin," Deidara spat from behind her. "I don't give a shit what your god wants, un. _I _want that flesh."

The blonde leaned closer, his hair brushing her neck and breath warming her skin.

"I bet you're a virgin too, aren't you?"

Hidan howled at this, and leaned forward until he was in her face.

"I get you first, if that's the case. I'll tear you apart until you are screaming."

Tears continued to slide down her cheeks, over the blood now smeared there. Sakura kept her eyes on Naruto, who had turned enough to look at her through hazy blue eyes. The flow quickened as she watched him struggle, wishing he would get up and tear the man before her apart instead, then the one behind.

How had he fucked up so badly? This boy, he wanted to be _Hokage_, and there he was, bleeding to death before her eyes.

How? Had he underestimated them the same way the Third had underestimated Orochimaru, his own student?

No…

_You can't die. I need you, Naruto. Konohagakure needs you…Naruto…_

"Quit staring at your fucking boyfriend," Hidan snarled, backing up and raising a hand, looking as if he were about to hit her. "You see him? That piece of shit can't get up, let alone save your ass. Your ass…maybe that's where I should start! What do you think, princess?"

"Hn…fuck off," Deidara growled at him softly, face buried into her neck. "You'll get my sloppy seconds, if that."

"Yeah right, you damn female. I bet she'd rather have a _real _man anyway, wouldn't you baby?"

The tears wouldn't stop, as much as she wanted them to. Sakura wanted her will to strengthen, to throw them from her and run to Naruto and heal him as best she could. She contemplated pleading with them to let her heal him somewhat, but knew that increased the chance of him getting hurt again all the more.

"Come on, precious," the blonde cooed from behind her, tugging her by the waist. "Leave him, un. Let's go somewhere more secluded."

Sakura quit fighting the tears and began blinking them out as she backed away from Naruto, guided by hands that were now biting the fabric of her blouse. Through her tears, she could see Naruto staring at her with apologetic eyes. If either of them had the time, _she _should have been the one to apologize. If Sakura had heeded the early signs, she would have never been kidnapped, let alone have to watch one of her closest friends potentially dying before her.

Where the hell was Sasori? That devil was gone more than he was around, and _he _was the one who had wanted her, pursued her until he _had _her. Now he was gone, and she was being led to do more grim things than she had ever imagined he would have had in store for her.

Who could she pray to come save her now? Naruto, to miraculously recover his strength and come charging after them? Sasori, to realize his hostage was missing and go searching for her? Kakashi-sensei? Sasuke-kun?

There was _no one_. Sakura was being led to a fate worse than whatever she could have encountered were she to take on the responsibilities of an ANBU one day.

Truth be told, she would have rather been violently killed in any inconceivable way than be raped by not one, but _two _S-ranked criminals.

Her tears turned to sobs. How the hell was she going to get out of this? Nothing had ever seemed so impossible.

The arms behind her lifted her onto the clay bird she had been transported into the area on when Sasori had wanted her taken hostage. There, she sat, staring at the receding figure of her friend as he failed to pry himself off the ground.

_Naruto…_

"Don't get any funny ideas, you got that asshole?" Hidan demanded, staring up at Deidara. "Just because you're taking her doesn't mean you're gonna be the first to touch her. Get that through your head."

"It isn't as if she's _yours_, baka." Deidara snickered as he wrapped one of his arms tight around her waist. "I'll do as I please, un."

Through her peripheral, she could see Hidan looking at her.

"What do you want, _darling_? Unless you're too excited about the whole experience that you can't damn well speak."

She couldn't speak, nor would she if she found the words. Words wouldn't save her; there was no point in wasting her breath.

"See, un?" Deidara challenged Hidan once more. "She has _nothing_ to say, which means it's fair game. You can have her first if you can keep up."

"You bet your ass I can keep up. You aren't evading me on _that _piece of shit." He gestured wildly at the bird.

"We'll see."

The bird lifted off the ground, thick wings flapping as it elevated. Deidara's arm tightened around her, ensuring she wouldn't try to leap off.

Through the foliage, she could no longer see the blonde. Her sobs continued, silent now, as she stared at the spot she believed him to be.

_Naruto…_

_I'm so sorry._

* * *

**My most valiant attempt at making a longer chapter. As always, I have to cut it at what I feel is a decent cliffhanger though.**

**I love suspense, let's put it at that.**_  
_


	15. Save Me

**Fifteen -**

* * *

The looming trees set the scene as the large bird and its carnivorous master landed upon the ground. Deidara took her by her wrist and yanked her from the closest form of safety she had, sending her tumbling to the ground. Sakura landed on her knees, scraping them against the rocky forest floor.

Hidan emerged from between two large trunks, picking pine needles from his hair and cussing under his breath. The scene might have been humorous, aside from the onslaught of her demise.

Truth be told, Sakura had no hero. The man that had come to rescue her lay dying somewhere, blood seeping from the large gash in his abdomen, bestowed upon him by Hidan in an incomplete sacrifice. Sakura was glad it had not been finished, but she felt guilty knowing Naruto lie somewhere out there, quite possibly dying.

"Well, looks like you've prepared yourself," Hidan purred, his feet coming into her line of view as he stood before her. "I like a woman on her knees."

Deidara scoffed, crouching down beside her and twirling his fingers through her hair.

"You don't want him, do you, un?" He asked, mockingly sincere. "I'll give you _whatever _you want."

Hidan chortled, having overheard Deidara's whispered statement.

"Whatever she wants? You're such a fucking liar. You just want whatever you can get out of the little bitch."

Sakura winced, the words forcing reality to arise. She had been struggling to suppress it, but when statements like that came about, it was hard not to acknowledge what she had coming to her.

"So do you, un," Deidara reminded the silver-haired immortal, rising from his crouch beside her to stand once more.

"Then quit the shit and let's get to this. I'm not here to play nice."

Sakura's breathing quickened, surveying the two men beside her. One, expressionless aside from a small smirk, the other running his tongue along his lips like an animal getting ready for the kill.

As Hidan took a step closer to the trembling kunoichi, Deidara smacked his looming hand away.

"What the fuck was that, girly boy?"

"I do believe this was _my _idea, un," Deidara interjected, circling her halfway and eyeing her the way Hidan had been moments ago. "I get the first bite."

They sounded like hyenas, if those foul frothing beasts could speak. Sakura personally wished these foul beasts couldn't.

"Quit delaying this, dammit," Hidan spat, swinging his open palm in Deidara's general direction. "Do you want to fuck her or not?"

Sakura screwed her eyes shut. Of everything she _didn't _fear, this was something she most definitely _did._

Deidara heavily sighed, standing back but keeping a careful eye on Hidan.

"I shouldn't have brought you, un. You're making this much more complicated than it has to be."

Hidan sported a wide grin; one you would most definitely define as 'shit-eating'. It made Sakura shake all the more.

The cherry blossom could only hope the tremors she felt were truly beneath her skin; I.e., not visible to the two carnivores lingering before her. The less emotion she showed - fear or otherwise - the less pleasure they got from their situation.

"I'd say we could go at this at once, but I'm not getting anywhere near you. Couldn't have you touching me due to your homo tendencies."

Deidara ignored the other man, stepping forward to lift her up by her upper arms. In response to this, Hidan swung at him, which Deidara barely managed to dodge.

"What the _fuck_?" Deidara cried, dropping her like a hot coal. Her body hit the ground in a rough manner, her wrist twisting as she landed upon it. Sakura cried out involuntarily at the sudden shooting pain.

"Me first, gay boy!" Hidan withdrew his triple-bladed scythe from behind him, holding it to display he was on the offensive. Deidara had a hand at his side, ready to set off an explosion in the immortal beast's face.

The air whistled as Hidan swung his scythe through it, missing Deidara by centimeters, but leaving strands of his hair floating downward. In response, a small bird shot out in Hidan's direction, latching itself to him.

It would be seconds before it went off. When it came to Deidara's explosions, there was no telling what the range would come to be.

Sakura pushed herself up as best she could, clutching at the ground as she stumbled forward. Her wrist throbbed in eminent pain as she put pressure on it in order to stand.

As she tripped over her heavy feet, attempting to distance herself from the oncoming explosion, she watched Deidara's hand signs form.

One…two…

A loud _boom! _and the clay exploded, strong enough to dismember limbs from trees. As she continued to maneuver her way through the forest, she could hear a cry.

"Where are you going, pinky?"

Hidan hadn't been so much a scathed by Deidara's blow, and was flying after her as if there was no natural resistance holding him back. Sakura's heartbeat sped up, adrenaline pumping as she urged her feet to move faster, let alone keep moving.

A shadow overhead indicated Deidara's presence, the blonde following her moves effortlessly upon his clay creation.

_Blow me up, mother fucker. Then I wouldn't have to feel it if you decided to play with the idea of necrophilia._

The two men pursued her skillfully, one keeping enough distance overhead to allow her hopes to keep up, the other having disappeared into the thickening foliage.

Diving beneath an uprooted tree trunk, Sakura prayed her tactic was enough to buy her at least a few more seconds.

The air was still, the sound of her breathing all she could hear. The suspense was horrible; life on the line, she was injured beneath a fallen tree trunk.

When the hell had she become so weak?

A strong grip latched on to her ankles, and she cried out as she was yanked from beneath her sanctuary.

"Dumb bitch, you thought you could elude me?"

Hidan's grasp was harder than Deidara's, as well as stronger. Sakura could feel the bruises developing beneath her pale skin.

"Where's your hero now, huh? This isn't a fucking fairytale sweetheart! There isn't going to be a happy ending."

Sakura looked around hopelessly, attempting to catch sight of Deidara. She didn't want to see him - it meant more trouble - but it was a possible distraction; the only hope she had left.

She went silent as her body was tossed to the ground, pinned down by muscular arms and calloused hands. Hidan watched her eyes, taking in the look of fear and the tears sticking to her eyelashes.

"You'll make a great sacrifice, you know that?"

His fingers twisted into the fabric of her shirt, tearing it slightly at the bottom as she writhed beneath his rock-solid form. Her scream was blocked off by a hand clamping over her mouth, matched with an angry scowl.

"Dumb broad. Even if I let you scream, who the fuck's going to hear you? Huh?"

Tears dislodged themselves from beneath her eyelids, traveling down her cheeks in hot streams. Hidan's wicked smile grew wider at the sight.

"So pathetic. You all are…kunoichi…"

Sakura shut her eyes, strength failing her as his hands ran along her body, pulling at the fabric of her clothes. The tugs weren't meant to remove it, but to tear it, altogether making the experience worse.

Sakura bit into his palm, hoping to buy herself some time. In response, a stinging pain spread across her cheek as his palm connected with her face.

"Try that again, sweetheart. Do it."

Sakura allowed her tears to continue falling freely, feeling his weight shift atop her.

Suddenly, it was gone.

_Naruto…?_

Sakura opened her eyes to see Hidan on his feet, staring hatefully up into the canopy above them.

"Get your weak ass out here, dammit. Show yourself!"

Hidan resisted against a sudden pull at his arm, losing grip on his scythe and growling as he struggled against the unseen force. The immortal successfully grasped his blade, only to lose his footing and stumble to the ground.

"What the fuck? You asshole!"

The sight was somewhat comforting as well as disturbing; in the treetops directly above the silver-haired man's head was the puppeteer, eyes fixed on his target as he used chakra strings to manipulate him. Judging by the grimace on Sasori's face, it was nothing short of a difficult task.

"Sasori!"

Hidan's skin went from a light tan to black in places, white in others. His anger formed an aura around him that made Sakura want to crawl into herself.

From behind her, arms encircled her torso and pulled her up. Sakura craned her head just enough to see a familiar face and blonde hair.

"Let go!"

The cry was enough to draw Sasori's attention. The puppeteer glanced up from his handiwork to say a single word.

"Go."

She couldn't hear it above Hidan's howling, but she read it as he spoke. Sakura pushed herself to her feet, both fighting and cooperating with Deidara as he pulled her away from the scene.

Once more, she found herself atop Deidara's most cherished creation, taking off towards the direction of her captivity.

"You…you…"

Deidara glanced over his shoulder, his scope visible rather than a second blue eye.

"Master Sasori doesn't need to know, now does he?"

* * *

**I'm sorry that I'm going back to short chapters, but I was having a lot of trouble forming this one at all. I'm not sure why I was so stuck.**

**For those of you who go on YouTube, check my profile for a link to my YT account. I've posted a short SasoSaku vid I made to accompany the fic ^^**

**It's a short slideshow, a bit crappy, but pictures aren't easy to find and I happen to love the song. Check it out.**

**If you're too lazy to go to my profile, my account name is**

_xxcaffieneaddictxx_


	16. Coniving Bastard

**- Sixteen -**

_Reviews _are appreciated

Please && thank you (:

* * *

"_Master Sasori doesn't need to know, now does he?"_

Conniving bastard. How Deidara managed to lie straight to his partner without hesitation _and _pull it off was praise-worthy.

Sasori had returned shortly after them, blood staining his skin in various places both from wounds he had sustains and blows he had dealt. Pain, of course, did not phase Hidan worth a damn, and knowing better the psychotic immortal was furthering his wounds where he lie in the forest.

All for Jashin-sama.

Sakura reclined against the wall of Sasori's bedroom and rolled her eyes at the thought. Everyone here was some sort of whack job; not that she hadn't expected it when she'd been whisked away from her mission and taken captive by the former human puppet. Somewhere during the agonizing time she had spent with said whack jobs, Sasori had gone from being her rival to her hero. An anti-hero, rather, as he wasn't quite for helping her cause but he wasn't putting her in harm's way either.

Deidara lingered outside the doorway, speaking with Sasori. Sakura could catch bits and pieces of the conversation, words surrounding the fight, Hidan, and her.

Sakura could not see Sasori from where she sat, but she could perfectly well see Deidara, whose gaze lingered on her from beneath his long blonde bangs.

It was irritating, but moreover, chilling. Sakura had been desperate enough to believe he could be of some help to her, only to be taken advantage of. The events to follow…

Naruto…

Sakura shut her eyes to avoid seeing Deidara's indirect stare and to attempt to block out the image of her teammate, writhing on the ground in pain. It didn't seem possible; Naruto was such a strong shinobi, and should not have been taken down that easily.

Unless it was all an act?

Sakura sincerely hoped it to be the case. She wanted to get out of here, to play damsel for once and see Naruto come flying through the window, kick some ass, and then take off with her cradled in his arms. It was an odd thought, but one she entertained herself with for the moment.

"Sakura," a voice prompted from the hallway, grabbing her attention. Deidara had disappeared, and Sasori remained leaning lazily against his doorframe.

"Hn?"

Sasori hesitated, eyeing her from the short distance.

"What happened?"

He knew.

_He knew_.

Sakura hesitated - she wanted to rat on Deidara, tell Sasori that his supposed ally had attempted to rape her, only failing due to his 'competition'.

…or was it all an act, too?

Sakura shut her eyes tight, cradling her face in her hands, then running her fingers up and through her pink locks. The time spent here had screwed with her head. Badly.

"Nothing," Sakura confirmed, valiantly attempting to keep her voice steady as to proceed with a plausible lie. Sasori examined her expression with a disbelieving one of his own, but shrugged it off and dipped off the doorway, shutting the door behind him.

Sakura inhaled deeply, coming to her senses and realizing she'd yet to breathe in approximately a minute's time. As her breathing steadied once more, she leaned her head against the wall. She was feeling rather dizzy.

The window taunted her, the thought of freedom so alluring and so _false_. If she climbed through that window, it wouldn't be so simple as to just burst away and return home to her friends and family waiting on her. She would be pursued by one or more members looking to re-capture her or shed some blood for shits and giggles.

…Hidan…

Freedom. It was a horrible tease, dancing in front of her eyes like a jester, prompting her to take action but knowing she wouldn't.

Physical pain was less agonizing than this mental torture she was being subtly subjected to. It had been…how long _had _it been? A couple weeks?

Sasori had yet to indicate why he had brought her here aside from his eerie infatuation with her, which seemed to die down with every passing day. Of course, as much as he seemed to settle, other members' interests peaked at the sight of fresh, virgin flesh.

A loud _boom! _echoed from downstairs, followed by a loud cry accentuated by profanities.

The king of s & m was home.

Sakura pressed her nails into the skin at her hairline until she felt a sharp pain urging her to stop. She ran her fingertips along where her nails had been, examining for blood, but finding nothing but scraped skin and soreness.

Between boredom and the energy she had spent fighting earlier, Sakura was exhausted. Picking herself up off the floor like a rag doll, she edged over to Sasori's bed and fell onto it, closing her eyes as her body made contact with the soft sheets and fluffy pillow.

Sweet, sweet relief.

Dreams. They were her only solace, aside from when nightmares plagued her, which was every other night.

Dreams.

Sweet dreams.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the smell of ramen. Truthfully, she detested ramen, likely because Naruto had begged their team to take trips to Ichiraku often back when they were genin, and even years later she had yet to get over the stomach-churning broth and noodles.

The smell was nostalgic, and a pain abruptly shot through her chest at the thought of the ramen-loving boy, struggling on the ground, soaked in his own blood.

_Naruto_…

Sakura tossed over, only conscious enough to acknowledge the smell of ramen in her mind. She had no desire to awaken fully and discover why it was there, who had put it there, or what time of day it was.

Sleep…

Sleep meant peace.

After a few more minutes of unsuccessful attempts at completely slipping back into unconsciousness, Sakura rolled over to face the majority of the room and acknowledge the ever-present ramen and whatever else came with it.

Much to her surprise, and dismay, Deidara sat on the opposite side of the room slurping down noodles somewhat quietly. Another praise-worthy act on his behalf.

The blonde didn't seem to notice she had come about and was reading over a document placed before him while he ate, careful to avoid droplets of broth from flecking the paper and cursing silently when he failed to do so.

Pressure built up in her sinuses, and Sakura silently cursed the oncoming sneeze. The sound would draw Deidara's attention, as would any attempt to stifle it.

"Achoo!"

True to thought, the blonde raised his head, noodles still dangling from his mouth. Sakura shut her eyes tight although she was aware he had already taken in her conscious presence, attempting to pursue the notion of, _'If I can't see you, you can't see me'_.

"I know you're awake, un."

Dammit.

Sakura attempted to keep up her poker face, determined not to acknowledge the marauder looming across the room from her. It was a rather unsuccessful attempt, seeing as her sinuses betrayed her once more and began to itch, which involuntarily had her scratching her nose.

"Baka."

Sakura's emerald eyes opened to shoot a fiery glare at the almost-rapist sitting casually on the floor a few feet from her. Deidara ignored said look and turned back to his document, sitting serenely in a cross-legged position with the ramen directly in his lap.

"Why the hell are you in here?" Sakura demanded stubbornly, unsure whether to put her guard up or take the situation at face-value; in other words, to assume the arsonist was purely in here to keep tabs on her for his partner and overlook documents while eating dinner.

"Why does it matter, un?" Deidara challenged, completely ignoring her presence otherwise. This, for whatever reason, irritated Sakura.

"Could you at least be so polite as to look at me while you're being a prick?" Sakura snapped, crabby from the day's earlier events and having just woken up. Deidara continued inhaling his noodles and reading until all the noodles had slid down his throat. Then he looked up.

"What?"

They were having a childish staring contest, or so it would seem. Sakura had not intentionally started such antics, but being half-conscious while you are in the presence of a foe did not help her irrationality.

"Nothing," Sakura remarked bitterly, rolling onto her back and gazing at the ceiling. She could feel Deidara's blue eye burning holes in her head.

"Stupid girl, un," the blonde spat, bowl of ramen now beside him and empty. He cradled his long-haired head in one hand as he continued reading the multi-paged document, looking frustrated at the amount of reading he had to do.

Either that or he was frustrated because he had failed to get some. Then again, how on earth was _rape _fulfilling? Deidara seemed like a first-class asshole, but he would have never struck her as the type of guy to get off while a girl was writhing, crying, and bloody beneath him.

Hidan? Of course he'd successfully get off. He got off by stabbing himself and tearing himself apart, let alone anyone else.

"So are you a rapist or aren't you?" Sakura inquired boldly.

Deidara, who had been reading aloud to himself under his breath, stopped.

"What the fuck kind of a question is that, un? Do you always flat-out ask people stupid shit like that?"

Due to the amount of profanity he had tossed in with his normally well-spoken sentences (aside from his ever-present 'uns'), Sakura wanted to take that response as a "no".

"No, I don't. Then again it isn't every day that I have two men competing for who is going to rape me first."

Deidara snorted.

"I wouldn't want you if you offered yourself to me, un. You're a vile little creature."

Sakura didn't think twice before spitting out her next comment.

"So you're gay?"

Deidara shot up from the floor, knocking over the bowl in the process and ruffling his papers.

"Do you have a death wish, un? I'd be more than happy to send you to hell - maybe there you can worship _Jashin _with that immortal asshole downstairs."

Sakura sighed. It was a petty way of entertaining herself, but something told her Deidara wouldn't hurt her, most likely because Sasori would come back and hurt him if he did. Playing "therapist" with the blonde hothead served of some interest.

"Then, you aren't gay, you're just in denial that you failed at - forcefully and sadistically - getting laid."

"Fuck off, un. I meant what I said - I wouldn't touch you if you offered yourself to me."

A light bulb went off in the rosette's mind; testing that statement wouldn't be half bad.

Especially if Sasori caught it.

Sakura rolled over onto her side, facing the blonde who had now seated himself on the floor once more, looking more agitated than before.

"Is that so?"

Deidara glanced up at her with his visible eye, then look down again shaking his head.

"What, are you trying to convince me that you _want _me, un? I wouldn't believe your bullshit for a second. You're just as manipulative as every other worthless female I've ever come across, if not more than, un."

The comment made her eye twitch, an involuntary reaction that Sakura stopped by pressing the heel of her hand against her upper eye.

"Did I say that?" Sakura came back, giving him a cautious look. "I just don't believe you. Your "act" earlier was fairly convincing."

"Really? I'm flattered, un," Deidara drawled sarcastically, once again refusing to acknowledge her presence any further than snippy bits of conversation.

Sakura rolled her eyes dramatically and flopped onto her back once more, staring at the ceiling.

"When will Sasori be back?"

"He's here, un," Deidara confirmed. "In his workspace, constructing a new puppet."

A new puppet. Wonderful.

"You all need better hobbies, un."

Sakura stifled a snicker at her added syllable, knowing the arsonist was stifling his need to blow her up.

"Fuck you," Deidara murmured, purposely leaving off his trademark. Or would you consider it a speech impediment? Either way it made for decent mockery.

"Sorry, un," Sakura continued, attempting to elicit some sort of a reaction from Deidara. He growled something incoherent under his breath but continued reading.

"What was that?"

"I said," Deidara began, irate, "I do not enjoy babysitting you, un. You're an immature, prissy little bitch that I would love to watch explode, un."

"Then blow me up," Sakura challenged enthusiastically. "I could use an escape from this hell."

"Ask Sasori for permission, and I'll gladly, un."

"Why not just do it now?"

Sakura knew the answer to it; Deidara had basically stated it in his previous claim. This was turning into another petty argument for her personal entertainment purposes.

"I'm not taking that risk, un. I cherish my life, even if it doesn't seem so."

Sakura rolled her head to the side to look at him. Deidara was hunched over, looking at what appeared to be the final page of his document.

"Then why do you do what you do?"

Deidara glanced up at her momentarily before returning to his reading once more.

"You ask stupid questions, un. You would be more tolerable if you learned the value of silence."

Sakura bit back the angry commentary that was about to fly from her mouth, curses and all. He was such a sexist _pig_.

They all were. Then again, so were most men.

From downstairs she could hear Hidan screaming about something, swearing every other word. Sakura sighed. Living in the same house as him would get really old really fast. How the rest of the Akatsuki dealt with him was beyond her.

Sakura rolled back to face Deidara again, deciding she couldn't give two fucks if he hated her and wanted her dead. For all she knew she would never see the light of tomorrow anyone, should one of them decide to kill her in her sleep. Of course, Sasori slept in the same room and she was sure he would wake to anyone's presence besides hers lingering.

"So, what's so appealing about this lifestyle? I'm sure you could have had a lot if you'd stayed in your village."

"Fuck my village," Deidara murmured, flipping the papers upside-down on the floor, finished. "Life is better this way; I don't have to hold anything back. There aren't any laws I have to abide by - I'm free to do whatever the hell I please, un. No one to stop me."

So _that _was why he did it. It made sense, not that Sakura desired to live such a crude lifestyle.

The ceiling became her point of focus once more. Somewhere above that roof, the stars sparkled, encouraging her to find the fight within her to get out of here and go find Naruto, to make sure he was okay and express her remorse for not being able to save him from the injuries he'd been dealt.

_I'll make it out of here, Naruto._

_I'll make it out of here for you._

_I promise._

* * *

**Sorry that there has been a lack of Sasori in the story. I promise I won't turn it Dei/Sakura.**

**Promise.**

**Hope this chapter was satisfactory. Again, please review. I like knowing what you think.**_  
_


	17. Freedom

**- Seventeen -**

I forgot I had this chapter typed up quite some time ago. I just never uploaded it to FF.

This story will be the death of me, I swear. I feel it's repetitive, boring, and dragged on -_-

Sorry. Hopefully someone disagrees, but I completely understand if you _agree _with me.

**Review**? A lot of you favorite or alert my story, but I _really _want and like **reviews**! Please!

It makes me wonder how many (of you) don't realize that (a lot of) authors want reviews...huh.

Sorry, I'm ranting. Enjoy the chapter~

* * *

Windows had never fascinated her the way this one did right now. Staring at it, Sakura contemplated a decent tactic for escape while Deidara mulled over the papers he had previously flung in a fit of rage.

Green eyes glanced over the blonde curiously. She was unable to tell whether Deidara had an opinion in pertinence to her or whether he desired to rip her apart the way Hidan so did.

The door opened to reveal Sasori, looking shabby and exhausted.

"You like like shit, un," Deidara admonished, shaking his head. "Get some rest."

Sasori ignored the blonde, wandering over to his bed and discarding his cloak there. As he removed other articles of clothing, his eyes remained shut. It almost appeared he was trying to ward off the dark aura around him.

Sakura contemplated being courteous and inquiring whether he was alright or not. After a moment, she had to bite back laughter. Someone should have been asking if _she _was okay, not the other way around.

For a moment, Sasori's gaze lingered on her, but quickly flicked away. As of late he had become disinterested in her, and it irked her. Sakura had no desire to reside here, and if he had no interest in her...

"Why don't you send me back to Sunagakure or Konohagakure and move on?" Sakura questioned, although it came out as more of a demand. "You don't have need for me."

Deidara looked at Sasori warily, awaiting a vicious reaction to such words. Instead, the redhead merely sighed and rubbed his head.

"You are right," he agreed, sarcasm eminent in his tone. "I brought you here to humor me, and nothing more."

Sakura snorted. "_And nothing more_? Why the hell would you waste your time?"

Sasori turned to face her with a hardened gaze.

"Then go. I could give two shits anymore."

"Master," Deidara called in a hushed voice, eyes sharp.

Sasori returned to what he was doing, leaving it to her to decide what was to be.

"Fine," Sakura got up and made her way to the window, standing all of two feet in front of Sasori as she shoved it open. The kunoichi had one foot up on the ledge when arms grabbed her around the waist and yanked her back in.

"Did you honestly think I would just let you leave? I thought you were a bright girl, Sakura."

Sakura resisted the urge to become animistic and bite into his forearm. Instead, she inhaled deeply and attempted to reason, which was the safer option.

"Why keep me?" Sakura demanded harshly. "You have no use for me."

Sasori laughed in her ear.

"Of course I do."

Sakura turned around and shoved him away from her.

"You're a sick fuck, just like Hidan," she spat, glaring viciously at him. Sakura turned around once more and went to leap out the window, only to be grabbed and flung to the floor beside Deidara.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasori demanded, eyes alight with something malevolent. "I never said you could leave."

"I don't need your permission!" Sakura screamed, crawling back towards the wall. Deidara caught her around the ankle.

"Let her go."

Deidara followed his partner's instructions, remaining on the floor as he watched her inch backwards.

"Fuck you."

Sasori threw his head back and laughed before righting himself and looking at her. The older man came towards her, crouching down and tilting her chin up.

"Is that what you want?"

Sakura let out a cry and kicked him in the gut, knocking him off balance. Stumbling to her feet she rushed towards the door, shoving through it and fleeing through the halls.

She had completely overlooked the fact that if Sasori did not get to her, one of the other men would. At this rate it didn't matter; the longer she stayed, the surer she was to end up dead.

Sakura ran into what appeared a living room, where four of the men sat, Hidan happening to be one of them. The Jashinist jumped to his feet, wielding his scythe madly as he headed in pursuit of her.

"Well hello, my little bitch. You ready to give up yet?"

Sakura kept running, hearing the missing nin pursuing her.

Shit.

The world outside was abruptly cold; that, or she had acquired chills. Spending time in that hellhole had made her claustrophobic. Sakura would have rather been locked in a closet for weeks than to be able to wander around a house full of lunatics.

"Sakura," a voice carried on the wind, calling out to her. "Haruno Sakura."

Sakura pushed on, running faster than the first time, determined to get away.

"_Sakura…"_

"No!"

As she fled, arms caught her around the waist, pulling her behind a thick tree as Hidan flew past cackling like a madman.

"See why you should stay?"

Sakura attempted to pull herself from the puppeteer's grasp, failing and letting her body go limp. Involuntary sobs began to wrack her body; she had never been dramatic, but this was becoming too much. The experience was taking a heavy toll on her emotional and mental states.

"Just…let me…go," she breathed through her pants and sobs, choking on tears and saliva. "Please."

Sasori let go of her and she fell to the ground, curling up and pressing her face into her arms. Still alive, and yet she had already experienced the depths of hell. Haruno Sakura was _living_ it.

"Get up," the voice behind her whispered, grabbing her firmly by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "You aren't a weak girl. If you were, I'd have killed you by now."

Part of her had fallen away during her time spent under the watch of at least two sadists, one of which was now supporting her. Unintentionally she had fallen against Sasori, allowing him to hold her weight as she lie limp against his chest.

"Sakura…" he trailed off, tugging at her arm and causing her to stand up straight. "Don't fret."

"D-don't fret?" She stammered, looking up at him through watery eyes.

Who had she become? Since when was she _weak_ and _cowardly_?

His hand, strong and surprisingly warm, brushed across her face, pushing damp strands of hair back from her eyes.

"Don't cry. It's alright."

The tears were stopping, although the nauseating feeling had yet to dwindle. It was odd and uncomfortable, being consoled by a sick man with bipolar tendencies.

"Sakura…"

Sasori pulled her closer, one hand on her face and the other holding her arm. It felt as if he hadn't tugged at her at all - as if she had just been beckoned.

_Beckoned_?

Sakura's eyes went wide as she lost her breath, tuning back in to the senses she had lost to insanity. She could feel it - the strong aura of chakra burning around them. It wasn't something she could see, but it was hard to miss, now that she was focused on it.

What was he using on her? Some sort of jutsu?

"Let me go," she demanded, attempting to wriggle out of his embrace. "Let go."

The older man looked at her curiously, as if she were speaking in tongues. His head tilted to the side a bit, and a smirk tugged its way across his lips as he pulled her back to him.

"Now, now…don't worry so."

"Let go!" Sakura cried, shoving off him only to be pulled right back to him, face to face. As she stared into his eyes she found herself coming to the sinking realization that his hands were in no way on her.

He was controlling her.

"No!" She cried again, aiming to nail him in the gut with a ferocious punch, only to have her arm swing downwards past his side. "No!"

Tears began pooling in her eyes again, streaming down her cheeks. Freedom had been so close, and now she was caught by chakra strings, tied to the puppeteer who was holding her.

Haruno Sakura was now a human puppet.

"Let…go…" she whispered, attempting to wriggle her way out of it, to fight. "Please."

Sasori laughed.

"Please? If I let you go, you will leave. What could I possibly get out of that?"

At a loss for words, Sakura allowed the reality sink in, struggling to breathe.

"I'll tell you what," Sasori began, tugging a string that caused her to look him in the face. "Say you will be mine, and I will let you go."

"W-what?"

"It's simple, really," the older man drawled, keeping her attention on him. "I control you now, yes? I can break that hold and allow you to leave. Say you will be mine and you can go, no strings attached."

"Be _yours_?" Sakura echoed, attempting to get more of an explanation to this concept.

"Be mine," Sasori repeated. "Mine. Which means you can have your freedom, but you may never have another man."

Sakura's eyes went dim, feeling somewhat dead inside as that statement hit her ears.

"And what if I don't comply?" She challenged, attempting to wrap her mind around it.

"I'll be watching," Sasori informed her, reaching out to brush his knuckles across her cheek. "If you ever go against me, it will be your life. And his, whomever he may be."

Fear danced inside of her. She could never be with any man but him. Never kiss anyone, touch anyone, love anyone, because they would _die _for it, as would she.

There had to be a way around this...

"Fine," Sakura choked out, wanting nothing more than to get away from him.

"Good girl." The strings that bound her vanished, and she rubbed at her wrist absentmindedly, still watching the puppeteer. "You're free to go then. Just remember...I will _always_ be watching."

Sakura looked at him, distrusting of his word. Once he had turned and was heading in the opposite direction, she did the same.

_I will always be watching._

* * *

_This **is not **the **last** chapter__! The next one will likely be._

_Keep that in mind, and please look for the next update! Hopefully it will be soon._

_Please, please, please **review**. I know I stated that before this chapter began, but I **want reviews** more than favorites or alerts._

_Thank you~_


	18. End

**- Eighteen -**

**(a.k.a., final chapter)  
**

_Home stretch guys. I know this has been so delayed, so hopefully the ending will be satisfying enough for you all.  
_

_Thank you for taking this lovely journey with me, all delayed eighteen chapters. Mind you, Eternity **is **as of this chapter, sorry if you hoped I would continue.  
_

_I am, however, in the midst of starting **Mockingbird**, my newest Saso/Saku fic. It's up on my profile if you're interested.  
_

_Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/etc. It means a lot guys!_

* * *

Konohagakure was, for lack of a different description, serene. The breeze that blew was gentle, pushing through the trees and making wind chimes dance in a light-hearted melody from where they dangled outside shops and homes. The streets of the city and the market bustled with interaction, the sun high in the midday sky; perfect weather to permit one to go out and enjoy the glorious day.

"I've missed home," Sakura murmured thoughtfully, a wry smile curving onto her pale lips. The blonde walking next to her looked over and flashed her a toothy grin.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, looking around with a perpetual curve on his lips. "No matter what happens, I don't think I could ever call anywhere else home."

How long had it been that they had been back since their treacherous journey? Then again, did it truly matter? Everyone seemed happy, or at the very least, content. It was better than it had been in quite a while.

"One day, I'll be the king of this city!" Naruto cried, a dopey grin on his face as he struck an outrageous pose. Sakura shook her head and muttered something under her breath, contemplating how a clown like Naruto could ever purposefully run Konohagakure.

"Everyone, be excited for the day that I call you my people!" Naruto voiced, eliciting a few strange looks from passerby. "One day...and it will be the best day of my life!"

"Oi," Sakura groaned, eying her former teammate curiously. "Don't you know there are a lot of things to live for, baka? What about finding love, having a future, anything else?"

Naruto mused on this for a second before childishly returning to his previous rant.

"Those will all be great, you know? But imagine it; me, Uzumaki Naruto, as _Hokage_."

As much as Sakura had faith in the eccentric blonde, she couldn't help but question how he would manage being a figure of power and authority. Naruto had come a long way throughout their lives as shinobi, but it seemed he had a long way to go.

"Just enjoy today, will you?" Sakura admonished, arcing an eyebrow and sighing. "You get ahead of yourself far too often."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto commented, not really paying Sakura's commentary any mind. "Look - Ichiraku! Let's go get ramen Sakura-chan!"

The cherry blossom rolled her neck, listening to it pop in various places as they edged their way through the throng of people over to Naruto's favorite and seemingly _only _restaurant of interest. Truthfully, Sakura wasn't a huge ramen fan, but Naruto had invited her out on the town, and she wasn't about to say no.

As she waited for her vegetable ramen, Sakura gazed around dreamily. There was something about this city that was so..._different_. Maybe it wasn't Konohagakure that was different; maybe it was _her_.

People watching was an interesting hobby, and Sakura couldn't help taking in the sights of the people walking by. It was during this semi-amusing pastime that Sakura caught sight of something she probably would not have noticed otherwise.

On the other side of a street, hidden beneath overhangs and behind the mass of bodies moving around, a flash of red.

Sakura felt her stomach lurch and drop, mouth slightly agape as she stared, paralyzed.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto was shaking her arm. "Ramen's ready."

Sakura blinked to take her attention off the unexpected sight, and turned around to gaze straight into a bowl of broth and noodles. There was no logical reason _that _would be the case. In all honesty, red as a color just happened to make her nervous lately.

Was there a technical term for the fear of the color red? Moreover, the fear of redheaded people?

Sakura laughed a little, ashamed and nervous about the thoughts running through her head. On one hand, it sounded completely ridiculous. On the other, it made perfect sense to her to still be cautious and a little wary once in a while.

Delicately pulling noodles from the bowl, Sakura found herself gazing around out of her peripherals, not that you could see much while sitting on a stool in Ichiraku. It had been just the right timing, peeking through one of the cracks in the flaps surrounding the noodle bar and a gust of wind to push it aside to catch sight of it.

There was no way...right?

Naruto was too engaged in noisily chowing down to notice the troubled look on his friend's face. Not that Sakura wanted him to notice; that would be more trouble that she did not need at the moment.

Sakura silently finished the ramen before her, somehow forcing the task of eating to hold her attention and allow her mind to remain blank through the five or ten minutes it took to finish her bowl. Her one bowl to Naruto's four.

"That was great." Naruto had an excessively joyous smile on his face while he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and stretched, as if he had just partook in a four-course meal and was ready to head home and crawl into bed.

Did four bowls of ramen count as a four-course meal?

"Yeah..." Sakura trailed off, scouting the crowd for any signs of something amiss. It was paranoia, this confirmed by her sudden contemplation of if she could possibly be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Really. How inane.

The sun had dipped a little to the west in the time they had been making their way through town and had stopped to eat. Despite the early hour and the free time they both had, Naruto looked anxious and bouncy.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, I think I'm going to head off for the day," he told her, waving his hands in indecipherable gestures. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine," Sakura agreed, nodding her head slightly, eyes still picking apart the crowd around her. When Naruto said his goodbyes, she waved in his general direction and muttered something that she was not sure had been any form of a goodbye. At this moment, she was too fixated on everything else around her.

It was time to go home.

* * *

Opening the door to her apartment, Sakura was greeted by the scent of flowers and fresh fruit that it almost always smelled of. The clean smell eased her a bit, and grabbing some water from the fridge, she headed into her room to relax.

The sight she was faced with was so...simplistic, yet invoked a level of fear into her that one could not easily comprehend. Approaching the piece of paper set on her windowsill, Sakura unrolled it with shaking hands.

_It has been so long, Sakura. Meet me by the bridge at sundown._

Meet them by the bridge. It wasn't something she could be forced into, or so she would liked to have believed, but the fear within her drove her to make the decision to go. How long was it until dusk, anyway?

It didn't matter. She just wanted something to keep her mind off of it, something to keep her from staring viciously at her bedside clock, counting the minutes.

Pulling out a book from her nightstand drawer, she settled against the pillows and took to occupying herself with the fictional life of others.

* * *

Stars were beginning to appear in the east while the sun slowly dipped down toward the horizon in the west. If there had been any ordinary reason to be out, Sakura would have been enjoying the perfect temperature the day had graciously given them as well as the beautiful mixture of day and night overhead.

Instead, she was walking hesitantly toward a place she used to train, feeling unusually uncomfortable in her own skin. Why was she Haruno Sakura? Why, at this moment, could she not be anyone else?

The bridge was still a ways off, and she was in absolutely no hurry to appear there. If they had to wait, they would wait. If _this_, whatever it was, happened to be of the utmost importance, they could wait for her to make an appearance.

Slowly verging off the paths of the city streets, Sakura could feel something sick twisting in her stomach. Her hands were lightly trembling, and despite the warm breeze, she was chilled.

This. This was the perfect physical embodiment of fear; raw, hungry fear that fed on a person without hesitation.

Coming to the bridge, Sakura leaned herself up against one of the railings, eyes darting around nervously. In her mind, she had already depicted how this would go, already _knew _who was out there waiting for her. Turning to face the west, Sakura watched as the sun went downward and disappeared beneath the horizon.

This was it; the moment she had never wanted to be faced with in her life.

There was a rustling behind her, and a lump formed in her throat, momentarily cutting off the flow of oxygen traveling to and from her lungs. Once she had caught her breath, Sakura came to realize her eyes were screwed shut, and that she was on the verge of tears.

"Sakura."

Her eyes opened, and while her heart sped faster than normal, it slowed from its sprinting pace. That voice...it wasn't...

That voice did not belong to Akasuna no Sasori. That voice...

"Sasuke?"

Spinning around, Sakura was met with the sight of a tall, raven-haired boy with piercing obsidian eyes. The sight was altogether shocking, and made her heart drop in a way that was neither good or bad.

"Sasuke."

Wary that it could be a trick, Sakura took a step toward him and came to a halt.

"Is it really you?"

The boy before her kept a blank face, but she watched his eyes turn a sinful red, and listened to the sound of his throaty voice pierce the night air.

"Move."

Sakura did as she was told, preparing a medical jutsu he should not have been readily capable of doing. In turn, she watched his movements mimic hers perfectly, and fade as hers did.

"It...it's really you, Sasuke," Sakura choked out, eyes wide and hand clenched over her heart. "Why are you back?"

"I need a favor." His voice came out in a gentle whisper; a mannerism completely opposite of how she had come to view him since his departure so many years ago.

"Yes?"

The raven-haired male held out a scroll to her, which she lightly grasped and slowly pulled from him. All of this was surreal; Sakura expected it to melt away at any moment, pulling her into the hell she had been anticipating all this time.

"Take that to Naruto," he murmured, eyes serious and cold. Sasuke had changed, but so much of him was still as she remembered. It was pitiful, to find herself choking back tears like she was twelve again.

"Okay," she quietly agreed, clasping the scroll tight and watching him without so much as a blink, afraid if she made such a movement that he would be gone.

"Thank you, Sakura," he stated graciously, turning around and disappearing.

"Sasuke-!"

He was gone. He had been there, and then he was gone, like it was absolutely nothing. All that for a scroll.

How it surprised her, she wasn't quite sure.

* * *

Sitting at home, Sakura stared at the scroll sitting on her nightstand. It would not be proper to open it, seeing as it had not been intended for her, but curiosity tugged relentlessly at her.

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head, pulling her attention away from the rolled paper sitting beside her. It was not her place. It was in her possession, but it was not _hers_.

Sakura could not remember ever being this impatient; then again, it was not every day that Uchiha Sasuke came back to Konohagakure, asking to see _her_, even if it was just to deliver something to Uzumaki Naruto.

Boys. There were complicated, not to mention confusing beyond belief.

Sakura was not sure what she had been hoping for when she had been faced with the sight of the boy she had not been expecting. Sasuke was not the type of being to come running back to something he had purposefully left behind because he had, while being away, discovered an attachment he had never realized he'd had. Sakura sighed; it was petty to have hoped for such a thing.

Either way, it had been reassuring to see him rather than the one person (demon, murderer, sadist) that she had never longed to see again so long as she was breathing.

Thank heavens for coincidence. If that note had been from anyone else, there was a distinct possibility that Sakura would not have made it home once more.

The thought made tears well up in her eyes for the second time that evening. It was trivial, but at that moment Sakura found herself wishing for Sasuke to come back, to be her hero.

Her hero? Uchiha Sasuke?

It was a nonsensical thought. Sasuke wasn't even an antihero; by now, he had become no better than all those who proved menacing and heartless before him, a true villain. There was no way, no matter what the past had been and what situation his former teammate and friend was in now, that he had any intention of saving her.

Haruno Sakura was a strong female. It was unnecessary to have a man protect her.

At least, that's what she liked telling herself.

* * *

Lying in bed, the feeling wouldn't leave her. It felt like a blanket of dread had draped itself over her, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not get out from under it. There was something in the air tonight that just wasn't right...

Whether it had been Sasuke or not out there, something lingered with her now that made her stomach twist and churn. There had to be some way to alleviate this feeling, some way to ease her anxiety and allow her to - at the very least - slip into a peaceful sleep.

A tapping on her window cause her to grasp tightly to her blankets, eyes screwing shut forcefully. It had to be the elements; this _could not _be occurring.

Impossible. It just had to be impossible, or...

As she got up and ambled to the window, she looked around hesitantly, her guard up.

It had not been enough.

"Sakura," a venomous voice drawled from behind her. Once again her stomach dropped, accompanied by immediately tearing eyes and irregular breathing. "I thought I told you I will _always _be watching."

"What do you want?" she half cried and half snapped, turning around to face the redhead sitting lazily on her bed. Sasori's eyes flicked up at her, looking bored, before back down to the leaf he was twirling between his fingertips.

"You like him, don't you?" he inquired, peering at her once more from beneath his shaggy bangs and long, dark eyelashes. "That's a shame, truly."

"You won't! You can't!"

Sasori snickered lightly, standing from his place on her bed and allowing the leaf to drift from his hand to the ground.

"Sakura," he repeated her name, letting it fall from his lips menacingly. "I don't care _who _it is; no one is a challenge enough to stop me from keeping you to myself."

"He isn't interested in me like that. Why does it matter to you?"

Sasori stopped, halfway from her bed to her.

"_Why_?" he echoed, eyes lighting up with malice. "You should have thought about that before you got that sparkling glint in your eyes, before you stuttered his name."

"It...it was you!"

Sasori sneered and turned his gaze on her.

"No, it wasn't. That's why I'm angry; I'm not going to test your loyalty to me, I simply expected you to _keep it_ without me having to resort to such petty means."

Sakura could feel herself staring in disbelief, looking like an animal knowing it was being preyed upon.

"It's not like that! You shouldn't even be here!"

Sasori edged closer to her still, until he had her with her back pressed to the window.

"I should not be here, should I?" he mimicked, eying her suspiciously. "You should have thought of that sooner, _Sakura_."

Her breathing was cut off as his hand curled around her throat and lifted her off the ground. Sakura grasped and clawed desperately at his hand, making a feeble attempt to free herself. Without having anticipated this altercation, she was on the losing side. It was taking all she had to keep what little breathe was in her while he held her up in a tight grasp.

Abruptly, he dropped her, sending her crashing to the ground while she coughed and wheezed. Sakura unabashedly inhaled deep, ragged breaths, struggling to regain the air she had lost while Sasori had her by the throat. Skin sore to the touch, Sakura could tell bruises were already forming.

Sasori had bent down, his face right in front of hers.

"Have you changed your mind, Sakura? Do you want to accept being loyal to me?"

Tears swelled helplessly in her emerald eyes, threatening to pour over at any moment. The feeling was horrible, but she knew if she did not agree, Sasori would more than likely go hunt down Sasuke, or any other male he was wary of.

"O-okay," she stammered, wincing and turning away from him slightly, fearful.

"Do you mean that?" Sasori's tone had lightened somewhat, although it still sounded harsh and demanding.

"Yes," Sakura breathed hoarsely, not thinking twice as she agreed, praying that this decision would save whoever his suspicions included.

"Good girl," Sasori purred, reaching out and running his fingers down her face. "Now let's test that."

"Sakura's eyes grew wide, expecting him to go off at that very moment in fury and blood lust to go apprehend his victim. Before she could so much as make a sound, his mouth was on hers, and she felt a sharp pain as he bit hard into her lip.

A coppery taste dribbled from the split skin, and she felt queasy as his tongue ran along the edge of her mouth, tasting the warm liquid. When he pulled away, his lifeless lips were stained red from her blood, giving him the appearance of being a little more human.

Sakura sat there in awe, feeling blood continually trickle from her lip, but not caring. The look in his eyes was horrific; this was worse than before. It was obsession, fixation, and something inexplicably demonic.

"You..."

Sasori nuzzled her face and dropped his face into the crook of her neck, lightly biting there and pulling back.

"I love you, Sakura. Be with me forever."

The words made tears harshly spill from her eyes, and soft sobs began to overtake her. The man crouched before her ignored this, sitting back and pulling her arms around him.

Sakura froze, looking at the devilish grin curling onto the man's lips.

"What did you do?" she cried, feeling an unexpected pull at her body. The way he ran his tongue hungrily over the blood that was drying on his lips indicated that the bite, the withdraw of her DNA, had been a part of something she had not noticed.

"You are mine now, Sakura," Sasori told her, tugging at something she could not see to allow her hand to rest against his cheek. "My first and only flesh puppet."

Tears continued pooling in and running out of her eyes, although she found she could not blink.

_My first and only flesh puppet_.

She would rather die, whether it be homicide or suicide. Yet there she was, sitting on the wooden floor of her bedroom, being controlled by the Akatsuki's puppeteer.

What was there to say? Unless someone killed him, she was trapped.

"Mine," Sasori gloated, an almost sweet smile on his face, although she knew it was nothing short of cynical. "Mine forever, aren't you Sakura?"

Her mind was free, but her body had become a toy. Sickness flooded over her in a wave as she contemplated what would become of her from here on out.

It was best to _not _think. If she was lucky, if he brought her _home_, Hidan would get a hold of her and use her for sacrifice.

Her life was over. There was nothing left.

* * *

Gasping, Sakura sat up in bed, hand flying to her mouth to feel for a cut that was not there.

It was all a dream; a vicious _nightmare_.

Sighing, she lay back down, comfortable in the darkness of her room.

"I would never harm you, Sakura," a voice reassured her while a hand stroked her hair. Eyes flickering open as fast as they had when she awoke, she took in the sight of a man sitting on the floor beside her. He trailed his hand across her cheek, something cold and sticky accompanying it.

As he withdrew his hand altogether, she noticed a dark stain running from the tips of his fingers to his wrist.

"I would only hurt them, never you," he repeated, bloodstained fingers running over her hair again.

"What did you do?" she cried, pushing herself up and failing to push herself away. Sasori laughed lightly.

"Sakura, I could not have you being captivated by another boy. I did what I had to."

This _had _to be a dream, another nightmare perhaps. It was sickening to notice all the immaculately accurate details of her room, the fact that at four in the morning the moon was in the exact place it should have been, and turning around, she could see the scroll still perfectly in place on her nightstand.

"I would never hurt you, Sakura. I love you."

The pink-haired girl spun around, but he was gone. Yet the sticky cold feeling still remained on her cheek, slowly drying.

This was what it had come to.

With her freedom came the cost of their lives. Sakura sat there, tears unwillingly slipping from her eyes.

She could not so much as look at someone the wrong way, or they would suffer whatever he had done...

Sakura allowed her face to fall into her hands, sobbing relentlessly.

She still lived, but her life was over.

There was nothing left for her, anymore.

* * *

**-_ Fin _**_-_

_I hope you all liked this; I tried to draw out the last chapter especially for you all._

_Sorry if it's still short_ D:

_Anyways, there are quite a few implications at the end involving death...it's a bit objective, i.e. take it as you will. I have my own idea set in my head, but I will allow you to yours._

_Thank you **so much **for everything involving this story - every review, favorite,_ anything _meant a lot to me._

_I would still love **reviews**, if you would all be so kind. Thank you again, and hopefully some of you can find enjoyment out of **Mockingbird **just as you did **Eternity**.  
_

_I can honestly say it is **finally finished**. Once again, I am sorry if you wanted me to keep going, but Eternity is officially_ **_done_**_.__  
_

_Hopefully I'll hear from some of you in my other fic(s).  
_

_Thank you again~  
_

* * *

_**I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter.**  
_

_**I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn't even matter.  
**_

**- Linkin Park  
**


	19. Note, Rant

**Note:**

****Hey guys, sorry if you thought I was continuing - Eternity is still done.

I just wanted to say (since I couldn't personally respond to one of the latest reviews), if you're going to tell me my writing sucks in any way, shape, or form...

_don't do it **anonymously**._

__If something sucked, that's cool, it's _your _opinion - but at least let me know who you are. Lol. I don't even know how to take someone borderline seriously when they say something like that _anonymously_.

If you don't have an ff account, then that's my misunderstanding.

**- End Rant -**

****P.S. - I know better than to expect that everyone will like what I write, and I accept all feedback. I just feel anonymously submitting something negative is like the online version of talking behind someone's back in person, and it's annoying as hell lol.

Maybe I think too much - oh well.


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